From the fall of the Soviet Union to the Arab Spring to today’s continuing conflicts, media have played a decisive role in political affairs across the globe—driving the revolutionary changes shaping today’s new world. This is the first book presenting a comprehensive look at the emergence of media as a primary actor, and not merely an observer, of global affairs. As the founder and CEO of Internews, the world’s largest non-governmental media development organization, David Hoffman has had a backstage pass to many of the seminal world political upheavals in recent years. In these pages we see how media have been used for good and bad, and how with the rise of digital technology, the power of media to intervene in global affairs is in the hands of everyone—including you. Citizens Rising examines media’s historic impact and offers a roadmap to the future.