Jaap van Ginneken was born in Hilversum, the Netherlands, in 1943. During the 1970s, he was based in Paris as a correspondent and roving reporter on ‘third world’ affairs, publishing books on China and Vietnam that were translated into other languages. After that, he returned to his original field as a social psychologist, specialized in mass media, public perceptions and collective behavior. He was long a part-time associate professor at the Amsterdam University Communication Department and International School. Books in English include Crowds, psychology and politics (1992), Understanding global news (1998), Collective behavior and public opinion (2003), Mass movements (2007), and Screening difference (2007). He is currently a professional speaker, based near Nice in France.
Understanding Global News provides a lively and critical introduction to the news media. Written specifically for media students and training journalists, this book invites the reader to explore contemporary journalistic practice, as well as the assumption that the media provide a mere window on the world. Challenging the often unquestioned notions of media objectivity, the author turns the classic questionsùWho, Why, What, When, and Whereùonto the news media themselves. By employing a range of theoretical perspectives and a large variety of examples, the author demonstrates the way in which our perceptions of the world are constructed by the news media. Understanding Global News will be an essential text for all students of journalism and media studies.
