Peter Steven explores the diversity of world media, from the corporate to the independent. He introduces readers to the political economy of the major media outlets, looking at the concentration of ownership and the convergence of technologies and media functions. In doing so, he encourages us to question how the media reflects society: are we passive recipients, or do we have a part in constructing the world?

Peter Steven is a freelance writer based in Toronto, Canada. He has been a film columnist for New Internationalist and The Beaver magazines, and associate editor of Jump Cut magazine.