Friday, October 25, 2013

Writing My First Book Review

Well, I'm writing my first ever book review for a communications journal. The journal I am writing for is called: The Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media. It is based out of Temple University. The book I am reading and reviewing is Listening Publics: The Politics and Experience of Listening in the Media Age.

I must admit, I am rather nervous about writing this review. Since it is going to be published, what happens if I totally miss interpret what the author is talking about? If you actually look at my copy of the book currently, you'll see that I have written all over it, and underlined everywhere. Maybe being so nervous is a good thing? It is making focus a great deal, since I don't want to mess up. We will see I guess.

Of course I will post my completed review here.

2 comments:

Matt Maldre said...

This book sounds fascinating! I can't wait to read your review.

There's so many companies that broadcast instead of communicate. Companies are used to blasting their messages regardless of the audience listening. It's a very self-focused action. "I'm big and important, so i'm gonna say what I want to say, and everyone is going to listen."

For the past year or so I've been writing on my blog about how companies and publishers need to consider their audience and provide messages that are targeted specifically for individuals. And this just ain't putting out a publication where you target a demogaphic. Instead what needs to happen that publishers need to give the reader their own option to pick and choose what they read and hear.

We have way too many platforms that are based on broadcasting. Google Plus is a broadcasting platform. Facebook is a broadcasting platform. Even twitter, yes, the lovely twitter, is really used by most people to broadcast.

Thankfully there are many people out there who use twitter to engage. To LISTEN, to respond.

I'm curious how much this book will take that extra step beyond listening. While I would really be happy to hear more companies listening, the key is really how do you take what you hear, adapt critical thinking, and RESPOND.

That's why comments on blogs are so critical. Comments involve a listen and respond mechanism.

People who poo-poo and say blogs shouldn't have comments are people who don't want to engage their audience.

But back to listening. Hopefully the author of this book will acknowledge how so many people, companies, and publishers have this desire to put their own stuff out there. It often makes me wonder how much of this stuff is actually being read. Yes. Content being read is the equivalent to listening.

Only listening tends to imply there will be a response. Our culture treats reading as a private exlusionary action where the reader doesn't reply back.

This is 2013. Reading should imply a response action.

Matt Maldre said...

I hope what I wrote made sense. It's so long, I didn't bother to go back and re-read it before I submitted the comment.