Since the mid-1990s, small groups of activists and hobbyists have been going online to engage in a contentious style of journalism. Cherian George�s new book assessing this development, Contentious Journalism and the Internet: Towards Democratic Discourse in Malaysia and Singapore, is released by Singapore University Press this month. He argues that such websites, though unruly and inchoate, have added significantly to media diversity � not least by challenging unresolved contradictions within professional mainstream journalism. Based on in-depth case studies of alternative online media in the two countries, Mr. George believes that the democratising power of Internet technology has been overhyped. In contrast, pre-existing, offline social networks and cultural factors play a critical role in the success of these intrepid online ventures. The former Straits Times journalist now an Assistant Professor at the School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, will talk to the FCA on the subject Friday, Jan 27.