Description: In the eighteenth century, the printing press enabled the rise of an independent press--the Fourth Estate--that helped check the power of governments, business, and industry. In similar ways, the internet is enabling the empowerment of a more independent collectivity of networked individuals--the Fifth Estate. Dutton uses estate theory to illuminate the most important power shift of the digital age. He argues that this network power shift is not only enabling greater democratic accountability in politics and governance but is also empowering networked individuals in their everyday life and work.
Review Quotes: "This is the most important book by Dutton, a leading scholar on the social dimensions of network technologies. It shows the reconfiguration of power in a multimodal digital communication environment. Essential reading for students, researchers, business leaders, and policymakers." -- Manuel Castells, Wallis Annenberg Chair of Communication Technology and Society, University of Southern California
"Scholars have spent two decades trying to understand the internet's potential to transform societies. This compelling work, replete with rich examples, moves beyond narrow analysis of individuals, institutions, and innovations to argue for the emergence of a Fifth Estate through which networked individuals capitalize on digital tools to hold those in power to account. Only by understanding this potential can we make best use of it, meaning, ideally, everyone should read this book." -- Victoria Nash, Director of the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford"The concept of the Fifth Estate is simple but profound in its implications. In tracing the empowerment of interconnected individuals, Dutton restores lost optimism about the democratic potential of digital media. He provides a balanced analysis of societal trends, individual actions, and alarmist counter-restrictions by established institutions. Dutton's broad perspectives, gems of examples, and clear prose add up to a significant book whose central concept will leave its mark." -- Eli Noam, Director of the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information, Columbia University"Recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals." -- Choice"In developing the concept of the Fifth Estate, Dutton pushes us to consider the wider socio-political impact of the internet. Rather than just being a new technology, it has created a space in which different actors are able to organise and challenge established practices in the public interest...Having marshalled a wide range diverse cases, drawing on a career following the development and potential of these tools, Dutton makes a compelling case for the need to recognise and value their contribution in creating new opportunities." -- Thomas O'Brien, Information, Communication and Society "This book is divided into three sections, examining the foundations, strategies, and future of the Fifth Estate. Presenting the argument in this way, Dutton ably captures the extent and potential of the Fifth Estate while also adopting a cautionary note about its potential futures. A key strength of the book is the breadth and depth of Dutton's own engagement with the internet and associated developments, as this enables a richly informed reflection on the roots and trajectory of this space." -- Thomas O'Brien, Department of Sociology, University of York, York, UK