A sociologist who has long studied media logic and the ecology of communications, Altheide (justice and social inquire, Arizona State U.) here examines how news, popular culture, and other mass media have cast terrorism, propaganda, and social control since the 9/11 attacks. His emphasis in on the way that the media tell institutional stories that reflect and help keep a sense of order. While terrorism has become the bread-and-butter of mainstream media institutions, he argues, the counter-narratives provided--perhaps only reflexively--by alternative media represent new communication formats that will shape future communicative experience. His topics include global crises, propaganda, the politics of fear, moral panic, the Columbine shootings, terrorism programming, and the terrorism narrative and mediated evil. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)