Drones: Media Discourse & The Public Imagination starts with a basic premise: technology shapes and is shaped by the stories we tell about it. Stories about drones at once anxious and hopeful, fearful and awe-inspired are emblematic of the profound ambivalence that frequently accompanies the introduction of new technologies.
Drones: Media Discourse and the Public Imagination starts with a basic premise: technology shapes and is shaped by the stories we tell about it. Stories about dronesat once anxious and hopeful, fearful and awe-inspiredare emblematic of the profound ambivalence that frequently accompanies the introduction of new technologies. Through critical analysis of a variety of cultural formsfrom newspaper headlines, nightly newscasts, and documentary films, to advertising, entertainment media, and graphic artsthis book demonstrates the prevalence of drones in global battlefields and domestic airspace, public discourse, and the popular imagination. Written in a lively, engaging, and accessible style, Kevin Howley argues that media discourse plays a decisive role in shaping these new technologies, understanding their application in various spheres of human activity, and integrating them into everyday life. In doing so, Howley highlights the relationship between discursive and material practice in the social construction of technology.
