Want to know how many 12‐13 year olds in the UK have televisions in their bedrooms? Or what percentage of Finns have mobile phones? Ever wondered how many radios are owned in the UK, or how many French newspapers are available on the Internet? Then look no further. These are just some of the types of information to be found in The Global Media Atlas.
This handy little paperback contains a wealth of useful media information. It is presented in the form of over 50 colour maps, each with expert commentary. The maps present up‐to‐date data and information on a wide variety of media‐related topics. These include such diverse subjects as film production, learning online, Web sites of the world, phones/mobiles, media moghuls and world music.
The book is split into eight chapters: The Information Age; The Press and Radio; Cinema; Television and Beyond; Ownership and Control; Advertising; Information and Communication Technology; Global Village and Global Market.
The maps in which the information is presented graphically show the global diffusion of old and new media. They present the most current data available and extrapolate trends on all the topics above, illustrating the huge disparities across the media world. There are some useful tables towards the end of the book. The world table lists all the world’s countries and includes figures for population, projected population, literacy, life expectancy, GNP and GDP. There is also a media table, again listing the world’s countries and the proportions of their populations owning or possessing telephone lines, mobile phones, radios, televisions, and satellite and cable TVs. There are also figures for the number of cinema visits per head of population, the share of recorded music sales per country, the number of Internet hosts and numbers of newspapers per head. All this information is presented in easy‐to‐read tables.
Each subject covered begins with a very useful history and technological description. For example, there are histories of home entertainment systems (VCRs, gaming systems etc.), and of the Hollywood film industry. There is a very good description of e‐mail and a description of the growth of e‐commerce. These snippets of information obviously do not go into great detail, but they would be ideal for students doing school projects. The figures and statistics complement the written information and make an ideal reference book for students studying media related subjects.
The book is in glossy paperback format. Its coloured maps and charts are eye‐catching and very easy to study. And with only two pages for each subject, the book is certainly not going to put off any “unwilling” students. All in all, The Global Media Atlas is an excellent little reference book, with a huge amount of information crammed into a small space. I would not hesitate to put this book on the shelves of a public or school library and would certainly be one of the first sources that I would look to when answering enquiries on media statistics.
