Azmawati and Khan, eds. (2016). Social Media in Asia: Changing Paradigms in Communication. United Kingdom: Cambridge Scholars, Inc.

​

As part of the advocacy of the Asian Congress for Media and Communication (ACMC) to promote regional studies in global academic discourse, this book contributes to a better understanding of social media within the context of Southeast Asian countries, with the addition of Sri Lanka. The contributors here are primarily Asian academics and practitioners, immersed in the fields of media and communication.

Throughout the chapters, the reader will discover that social media has changed the paradigm of communication in the region: as an avenue for free expression; as a tool for news gathering and news distribution; as an aid in crime prevention; and even as a means to find a lifelong partner. For non-Asian readers, there is also an annex that provides a summary of social media statistics in the region to allow the countries mentioned in this book to be situated within the global context.

​

​

Khan, R. ed (2011). Media and Culture: Global Homogeneity and Local Identity. Mandaluyong: Anvil Publishing, Inc.

Thanks to technological advancement in telecommunications --as predicted by Marshall McLuhan in the 1960s-- the world has become a global village. A McDonald’s BigMac can be eaten anywhere from Beijing to Bangkok, Bruno Mars songs are played on the streets of Manila and Macau, Tommy Hilfiger is worn in Hong Kong and Hanoi even as we all witnessed the hotel bombings on Jakarta on CNN. As we get to eat the same food, witness the same events on television and learn about the latest Parisian fashion, the role of media in disseminating cultural trends becomes apparent. But can we really say that media limits itself to merely dissemination of information? Can it also pose a danger to local cultures?   

This book explores media’s role in promoting the local culture vis-à-vis the global media trend. Select papers from the recent international conference of the Asian Congress for Media and Communication examine the growing role of the mass media’s cultural influence and how it can be either a hindrance or a help in promoting local cultures instead of serving as a tool for global homogenization.