Description:
From ISIS propaganda videos to popular regime-backed soap operas and digital activism, the Syrian conflict has been profoundly affected by visual media. But what are the aesthetic, political, and material implications of this disturbing collusion between war and digital culture?
Drawing on a decade of ethnographic research conducted in Syria and neighboring countries, Donatella Della Ratta examines here how the networked age shapes contemporary warfare, from conflict on the ground to the performance of violence on the screen. Her findings present a stark parallel to the digital democracy offered by techno-utopians, delving into the dark side of web 2.0 practices, where visual regimes of representation and media production are put in service of modes of destruction.
A vivid account of the politics of Syria's visual media, from commercial television to citizen journalism and Daesh propaganda, Shooting a Revolution offers fascinating insight into the media's role in transforming conflict zones in the digital age.
Brief description:
Donatella Della Ratta is a writer specializing in media and visual cultures in Syria. She has curated many international exhibitions on art and cinema in Syria, and is coeditor of Arab Media Moguls.
Review Quotes: "This gripping work maps the media transformations in Syria--from the high hopes during the 2011 protests to the depression and despair of a never-ending war . . . . What hits us most is Della Ratta's deep insider knowledge that blends personal insights with urgent critical theory. Tactical media theory at its best."--Geert Lovink, author of Networks Without a Cause