Constituting a new television genre, live broadcasts of “historic” events have become world rituals which, according to Daniel Dayan and Elihu Katz, have the potential for transforming societies even as they transfix viewers around the globe. Analyzing such public spectacles as the Olympic games, the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, John F. Kenndy’s funeral, the moon landing, and Pope John II’s visits to Poland, they offer an ethnography of how media events are scripted, negotiated, performed, celebrated, shamanized, and reviewed.

"An important work that should be read by everyone in the media and cultural studies and who may be involved in the study of other modern institutions and political processes." - Contemporary Sociology

"The publication of Media Events is itself a media event of great importance to scholars and professionals in broadcasting and electronic media." - Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media