Liveness is a persistent and much-debated concept in media studies. Until
recently, it was associated primarily with broadcast media, and television in
particular. However, the emergence of social media has brought new forms of
liveness into effect. These forms challenge common assumptions about and
perspectives on liveness, provoking a revisiting of the concept.
In this book, Karin van Es develops a comprehensive understanding of liveness
today, and clarifies the stakes surrounding the category of the ?live?. She
argues that liveness is the product of a dynamic interaction between media
institutions, technologies and users. In doing so, she challenges earlier
conceptions of the notion, which tended to focus on