Dear Friends, I am delighted to share some news with you all: The Routledge Handbook on the Influence Industry <https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-the-Influence-Industry/Briant-Bakir/p/book/9781032188997> (edited by Emma L Briant and Vian Bakir), is finally on sale and available to pre-order on Routledge website in your region! <https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-the-Influence-Industry/Briant-Bakir/p/book/9781032188997> The book takes aim at the institutions and industries *behind *the disinformation crisis, seeking to reorient the field toward structural causes and infrastructure. This vital and timely text should be in print on 15th October, just before the US election. Scholars can scan the list of fantastic contributors, order a copy for the library and add to students’ reading lists now. This Handbook provides the first comprehensive examination of the influence industry and how it operates worldwide across different domains. The volume fills a gap in scholarship exploring the recent technical, political and economic development of the influence industry, surveying the extent of different technologies and services offered to clients worldwide across multiple domains (commercial, political, national security and government). The chapters are divided into three thematic sections, and evaluate Influence Industry practices, aims and effectiveness across audiences; business practices and economics; and democratic structures and human rights. They also offer advice for researchers and consider key ethical issues and new regulatory approaches. This volume will be of much interest to students of political science, propaganda studies, sociology, communication studies and journalism. See below for a list of recommendations it has received so far from top scholars in the field. Thank you for taking the time to read, order, recommend and share my email or the link in your circles. Best wishes, Emma (and Vian) *Recommendations* "This essential and comprehensive volume brings together an impressive range of scholars from across the world to shine a light into one of the most important - but misunderstood - issues of our time." Rory Cormac, University of Nottingham, UK "At a time when too much scholarly attention is given to the notion that disinformation is but an artifact of algorithms and social media's commercial logic, Emma L. Briant and Vian Bakir remind us of the role of institutionalized political power, what they call in this important volume the influence industry. Powerful industry actors take advantage of technology to shape public perceptions and even behaviors in a struggle for dominance and control. This insightful book is a must-read for those interested in understanding modern digital politics." Steven Livingston, George Washington University, USA "This invaluable collection gives a sharply-focused analysis of what the as yet under-researched influence industry is. Even more important, it reveals what the industry does - shaping how people think and guiding how they act - through a series of impressive case studies that show how data-driven influence campaigns and practices operate worldwide across commerce, politics and national security. Innovative conceptually, it proposes a new, better way to understand and study propaganda and disinformation. And it offers constructive, practical proposals for countering their effects." Steven Lukes, New York University, USA "The Routledge Handbook of the Influence Industry is one of the most important contributions in our field in recent times. The editors have done a remarkable job in bringing together a series of works that have effectively open a new space for reflection and discussion. I have no doubt that it will quickly become a seminal piece that will be quoted and used as a reference by scholars and experts to understand the perversity and the extent of manipulation of the public that have led to disasters such as Brexit and the 2016 election of Donald Trump." Jairo Lugo-Ocando, University of Sharjah, UAE -- Dr Emma L Briant Owner: Maven of Persuasion LLC Associate Professor at Monash University Fellow at Bard College, Human Rights Project Associate at University of Cambridge, Center for Financial Reporting & Accountability Speaking agent: Chartwell Speakers <https://www.chartwellspeakers.com/speaker/emma-briant/> Book agent: Inkwell Management <https://inkwellmanagement.com/> Author of: *Propaganda and Counter-Terrorism: Strategies for Global Change *from Manchester University Press Co-Author of: *Bad News for Refugees* with Prof. Greg Philo and Dr. Pauline Donald from Pluto Press. Support my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/emmalbriant Website: www.emma-briant.co.uk Sign up for my Newsletter <http://emma-briant.co.uk/sign-up-for-important-updates/>! Follow me on Mastodon @emmalbriant@mastodon.online Follow me on Twitter @emmalbriant "I thought yesterday was the first day of the rest of my life but it turns out today is." - Steve Martin “Women are like teabags . We don’t know our true strength until we are in hot water.” - Unknown