Journalism and celebrity / Bethany Usher.

"Against the maelstrom of opinion and scholarship on what journalism is, was, and might be, this book considers how journalism and celebrity work together towards social, cultural, and political control. Exploring the intertwining histories of journalism and celebrity, the book looks at journalism's relationships with persona, politics, society, and identity, and how the dynamics of celebrity and journalism facilitate mediatised attacks on individuals. Through a critical and holistic approach that focuses on the structure and agency of journalism, the book explores how attack journalism works as a process of celebrification, a political discourse, a means to challenge the hegemonic power of established orders, and as a mechanism to perpetuate them. The book ultimately moves towards a discussion of how we might tackle some of the worst abuses of individuals and also identify when celebrity and celebrified journalism might be working in the public interest. Including historical and contemporary case studies from the UK and US, this book is useful reading for journalism, communication, media studies, and history students, as well as scholars in the fields of journalism, celebrity, cultural studies, and political communication"-- Provided by publisher.