Electric News in Colonial Algeria

Electric News in Colonial Algeria explores how news circulated in a divided society during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, highlighting the experience of everyday people and the interaction between new and old technologies. It reveals how accounts of recent events provoked conflict and led to riots in a society split between its native majority and a substantial settler minority. The history offers a new understanding of the spread of news and the relationship between time, media, and historical change.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 01 April 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Algeria was a divided society under French rule, and Electric News in Colonial Algeria explores how news circulated within this context. The book offers a unique perspective on globalization, centering on the experiences of ordinary people. The period between 1881 and 1940 marked a significant era of colonial power in North Africa, characterized by intense technological revolution, global high imperialism, and the expansion of settler colonialism. Algerians became connected to international networks of news, and local people followed distant events with great interest. However, once news reached Algeria, accounts of recent events often provoked conflict as they traversed different social groups. In a society divided between its native majority and a substantial settler minority, distant wars led to riots.

Circulation and polarization were two sides of the same coin, as news played a crucial role in shaping public opinion and influencing social dynamics. Examining a range of sources in multiple languages across colonial society, Electric News in Colonial Algeria offers a new understanding of the spread of news. News was not just a transmission of information but a complex ecosystem that interacted with various media, including the printing press, telegraph, cinema, and radio. The French government closely monitored these developments, employing an extensive network of surveillance to monitor Algerians' reactions to news. However, this surveillance often led to the spread of news rather than controlling its flow. By tracking what different people considered news, this history helps us reconsider the relationship between time, media, and historical change.

The book also sheds light on the complex dynamics of colonialism and the struggles for independence that characterized the period. Algerians became increasingly aware of their colonial status and the injustices they faced, leading to a growing sense of nationalism and resistance. News played a vital role in mobilizing people and organizing protests and strikes. The printing press, in particular, became a powerful tool for spreading information and organizing resistance movements.

Electric News in Colonial Algeria is a valuable contribution to the study of media history and globalization. It offers a fresh perspective on the role of news in shaping societies and the complex relationships between different social groups. The book's interdisciplinary approach, combining history, media studies, and cultural analysis, provides a rich and nuanced understanding of the period. By exploring the ways in which news circulated and influenced public opinion, Electric News in Colonial Algeria contributes to our understanding of the complex and multifaceted history of colonialism and its legacies.

Weight: 296g
Dimension: 215 x 137 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192864017