A Private Sphere. Democracy in a Digital Age

Radio’s influence can be found in almost every corner of new media. Radio in the Digital Age assesses a medium that has not only survived the challenges of a new technological age but indeed has extended its reach. This is not a book about digital radio, but rather about the medium of radio in its many analogue and digital forms in an age characterised by digital technologies. The context of the digital age reveals new insights about the nature of radio. In this important addition to the world of radio scholarship, Dubber provides a theoretical framework for understanding the medium – allowing for complexity and contradiction, while avoiding essentialism and technological determinism. Introducing radio as a series of practices and phenomena that can be understood through a range of discursive categories, this book explores the relationships between radio, music, politics, storytelling and society in a new and thoughtful way. This book will make essential reading for students of media, communication, broadcasting and the digital industries. It offers a timely and comprehensive introduction for anyone who wishes to understand the role of radio in today’s media landscape.

The book publishing industry is going through a period of profound and turbulent change brought about in part by the digital revolution. What is the role of the book in an age preoccupied with computers and the internet? How has the book publishing industry been transformed by the economic and technological upheavals of recent years, and how is it likely to change in the future? This is the first major study of the book publishing industry in Britain and the United States for more than two decades. Thompson focuses on academic and higher education publishing and analyses the evolution of these sectors from 1980 to the present. He shows that each sector is characterized by its own distinctive ‘logic’ or dynamic of change, and that by reconstructing this logic we can understand the problems, challenges and opportunities faced by publishing firms today. He also shows that the digital revolution has had, and continues to have, a profound impact on the book publishing business, although the real impact of this revolution has little to do with the ebook scenarios imagined by many commentators. Books in the Digital Age will become a standard work on the publishing industry at the beginning of the 21st century. It will be of great interest to students taking courses in the sociology of culture, media and cultural studies, and publishing. It will also be of great value to professionals in the publishing industry, educators and policy makers, and to anyone interested in books and their future.

From obnoxious public figures to online trolling and accusations of “fake news”, almost no one seems able to disagree without hostility. But polite discord sounds farfetched when issues are so personal and fundamental that those on opposing sides appear to have no common ground. How do you debate the “enemy”?

Philosophers Scott Aikin and Robert Talisse show that disagreeing civilly, even with your sworn enemies, is a crucial part of democracy. Rejecting the popular view that civility requires a polite and concessive attitude, they argue that our biggest challenge is not remaining calm in the face of an opponent, but rather ensuring that our political arguments actually address those on the opposing side. Too often politicians and pundits merely simulate political debate, offering carefully structured caricatures of their opponents. These simulations mimic political argument in a way designed to convince citizens that those with whom they disagree are not worth talking to.

Good democracy thrives off conflict, but until we learn the difference between real and simulated arguments we will be doomed to speak at cross-purposes. Aikin and Talisse provide a crash course in political rhetoric for the concerned citizen, showing readers why understanding the structure of arguments is just as vital for a healthy democracy as debate over facts and values. But there’s a sting in the tail – no sooner have we learned rhetorical techniques for better disagreement than these techniques themselves become weapons with which to ignore our enemies, as accusations like “false equivalence” and “ad hominem” are used to silence criticism. Civility requires us to be eternally vigilant to the ways we disagree.

What is the relationship between the principles of social justice and global justice? How can we best reconcile the quest for greater social justice ‘at home' with greater social justice in the world? Are the social justice pressures our societies currently face the result of globalisation or are they domestically generated? How can we advance social justice in the light of the new social realities? In this volume, leading international experts offer compelling answers to these questions. The aim of this volume is to articulate a modern conception of social justice that remains relevant for an era of rapid globalisation. The authors have developed a robust theoretical account of the relationship between globalisation and social justice complemented by an underpinning policy framework that aims to sustain new forms of equity and solidarity.

The book investigates the ways in which state-centred approaches to international relations have limited our understanding of global, political, economic and cultural processes. By assessing a wide range of such state-centred work, Youngs identifies the challenges we must address to grasp the complexity of the contemporary world.

Private investments in public equity (PIPEs) offer a practical financing alternative for companies seeking capital and a unique asset for investors. For practitioners who know how to identify and execute transactions, PIPEs present a growing opportunity. This revised and updated guide presents the views, voices, and invaluable expertise of leading practitioners from all specialties in the field. The book is divided into three parts: «The Business of PIPEs,» which provides a historical backdrop and overview; «Regulatory Landscape and Structural Alternatives,» which details the legal framework and transaction structures; and «Deal Flow,» which offers the investor’s perspective on negotiating deals. With detailed discussions, ranging from the origins of the marketplace and deal structures to legal considerations and due diligence, and from finding new opportunities to trading strategies, this book provides a clear window to the inner workings of this active area of the small-cap market. Investors, financial analysts, investment bankers, corporate and securities attorneys, and executives of public companies will find substantial value in the pages of this book.

The only resource available to help calculate investment value versus fair market value Whether buying or selling, the question of «what's it worth?» is multifaceted. In an M&A setting, it is necessary to compute fair market value, but it is far more important to compute investment value-the value of the target company to a strategic buyer. This calculation varies with each prospective buyer, depending on synergies, benefits, and other competitive analyses that are seldom involved in business valuation. Valuation for M&A is the first book to focus on valuation for merger and acquisitions. This groundbreaking guide provides document request checklists, sample interview questions, a format for adjusting financial statements, a format for developing discount rates, a format for computation of net cash flow, and a valuation reconciliation form, all to help senior executives and M&A professionals better negotiate a successful deal. Frank C. Evans is a certified business appraiser (CBA), Accredited Senior Business Appraiser in Business Valuation (ASA), and CPA (accredited in business valuation) and David M. Bishop is a Master Certified Business Appraiser (MCBA), Accredited Senior Business Appraiser in Business Valuation (ASA), Fellow of the Institute of Business Appraisers (FIBA), and Business Valuator Accredited for Litigation (BVAL).

Discover the tools necessary to determine what your company's value is, what drives its value, and how to enhance that value during an M&A transaction. The only book to focus on valuation specifically for mergers and acquisitions, Valuation For M&A: Building Value in Private Companies, Second Edition lays out the steps for measuring and managing value creation in privately held businesses. This groundbreaking work led directly to authors Chris M. Mellen and Franck C. Evans being named the joint 2010 AM&AA Middle Market Thought Leader of the Year by the Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors, and its thorough overview of the subject: Recognizes a company as an investment and explains how to manage that value to maximize shareholder returns, focusing on returns, risks, and capital invested Explains investment or strategic value versus fair market value and provides a document request checklist; sample interview questions; and formats for adjusting financial statements, developing discount rates, the computation of net cash flow; and a valuation reconciliation form Includes a comprehensive case study to illustrate concepts and calculations Now covers fair value accounting and the impact of SFAS Nos. 141, 142, and 157 and their IFRS counterparts, intangible asset valuation techniques, exit planning, international M&As, and venture backed/early stage companies Showing corporate executives as well as M&A professionals and business appraisers how to value privately-held businesses for merger and acquisition purposes, this book helps investors, executives, and their advisors determine the optimum strategy to enhance both market value and strategic value to maximize return on investment.

Begin your graphic design career now, with the guidance of industry experts Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer is a single source guide to the myriad of options available to those pursuing a graphic design career. With an emphasis on portfolio requirements and job opportunities, this guide helps both students and individuals interested in entering the design field prepare for successful careers. Coverage includes design inspiration, design genres, and design education, with discussion of the specific career options available in print, interactive, and motion design. Interviews with leading designers like Michael Bierut, Stefan Sagmeister, and Mirko Ilic give readers an insider's perspective on career trajectory and a glimpse into everyday operations and inspirations at a variety of companies and firms. Design has become a multi-platform activity that involves aesthetic, creative, and technical expertise. Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer shows readers that the field once known as «graphic design» is now richer and more inviting than ever before. Learn how to think like a designer and approach projects systematically Discover the varied career options available within graphic design Gain insight from some of the leading designers in their fields Compile a portfolio optimized to your speciality of choice Graphic designers' work appears in magazines, advertisements, video games, movies, exhibits, computer programs, packaging, corporate materials, and more. Aspiring designers are sure to find their place in the industry, regardless of specific interests. Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer provides a roadmap and compass for the journey, which begins today.

Contrary to the common view that globalization undermines social agency, ‘alter-globalization activists', that is, those who contest globalization in its neo-liberal form, have developed new ways to become actors in the global age. They propose alternatives to Washington Consensus policies, implement horizontal and participatory organization models and promote a nascent global public space. Rather than being anti-globalization, these activists have built a truly global movement that has gathered citizens, committed intellectuals, indigenous, farmers, dalits and NGOs against neoliberal policies in street demonstrations and Social Forums all over the world, from Bangalore to Seattle and from Porto Alegre to Nairobi. This book analyses this worldwide movement on the bases of extensive field research conducted since 1999. Alter-Globalization provides a comprehensive account of these critical global forces and their attempts to answer one of the major challenges of our time: How can citizens and civil society contribute to the building of a fairer, sustainable and more democratic co-existence of human beings in a global world?