All societies rely on communication, from the early days of human communication in the form of gestures, signs, and symbols, to the spoken and later the written word. Technology is a tool for developing communication, allowing people to live and work together. Stefania Milan presumes that technology is the key factor influencing social movements. And, yes, information and communications technologies in the Information Age are not only the means used by two parties to communicate (to talk, to exchange letters), but also strong instruments for expressing and spreading information, ideas, political attitudes, and change in entire societies. They are influenced by all kinds of wired and wireless technologies used in everyday life.

From the matrix of facts and truths gathered from research into communication and media relating to technology-dependent wired societies, social networks, social media, crowdsourcing, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, Milan compiles conclusions and introduces a novel approach to social movements. This is followed with the notion that “media” is no longer held and activated only by media professionals and political groups. Hence, with advances in information technology in recent times, anyone (individuals, groups, and organizations) can be a content producer and distributor. Milan moves further ahead with the articulation of social media’s role in modern society: it is not only a political tool, but also the movement’s main political cause. For open-source and digital rights movements, which Milan terms “radical techies,” the network is the concrete structure of their organization; they create networks that allow others to create and maintain their own social networks.

Milan is strongly influenced by the digital media and networks in her research, and focuses on investigating how new network technologies have affected social engagements and movements over the last 15 years. It correlates with emancipatory communications, and she starts in Section 1 with the reasons and scopes in which people mobilize them through media that new technology provides.

In order to introduce readers to the basics of contemporary activism, in Section 2 she explores the topic over the past three decades, from the basic approaches to the reform of communications on both the local and global scales, to the new forms of radical tech activism.

Section 3 follows, where the author opens the space for research on basic patterns motivating emancipatory activism. Its roots and heroes are also covered, accompanied by a discussion of the exploration of individual and collective identity issues within tech-based social media environments.

The premise of Section 4, about organizational terms and practice, is that organizations become the source of an identity, especially in the area of community broadcasting, which can have various organizational models.

The real emancipation in any social movement using modern information technology is presented in Section 5, dealing with insiders, outsiders, and beyonders, each with their specialties and actions. Milan also defines the scope of basic influence factors that shape emancipatory communication activists and their actions.

Section 6 deals with the dynamics of a movement through media activism. Milan is focused on the “karst movement,” consisting of actors with different tactics that, although they do not act together, take an action of strong connectivity when threats are in focus and when some form of repression is visible to them. At the end of the study, she discusses some emancipatory communication terms.

The research is accompanied by a helpful list of abbreviations used in the study, as well as a short description of the research methodology that is correlated with the research of social movements. With an elegant and clear writing style, Milan brilliantly helps readers become familiar with the social movement’s theory and practice through a holistic approach to emancipatory communications activism and its role in social movements around the globe.

It is absolutely interesting reading, focusing on sociological and cultural processes within the modern communication infrastructure. Further, it provides clear insight into alternative ways to use communication platforms by emancipatory communication activists. This title is highly recommended for those working in the media industry and professionals in the fields of communication, media, and policy studies.

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