Globalism, Tribalism, and the Quest for Pluralism: Media's Changing Impact explores and explains the inherent tension throughout history between humankind's global and tribal impulses. The text describes globalization as an outlook that can imply a cooperative, outreaching, embracing attitude and tribalization as a perspective characterized by a more inward-turning, identity-oriented, tradition-based way of thinking. It connects a healthy balance of the two impulses with the concept of pluralism.

The book traces the positive and negative impacts of these impulses over the centuries, relating them to changes in the way information has been shared. Dedicated chapters introduce the historic progression of globalization, the inevitable persistence of clashing identities, the limits and potentials of orality and literacy, and the revolutionary impact of writing, printing, and more recent technologies. Readers explore the rise and retreat of global inclusiveness and the ways in which we are attempting to navigate an ever-changing media landscape.

Designed to help readers not only learn from our past but also recognize and embrace its potential, Globalism, Tribalism, and the Quest for Pluralism is an ideal textbook for courses in global history, international affairs, and mass communication, especially those which emphasize the development of public media over time.