wrowland


Wade Rowland

Photo of Wade Rowland

Department of Communication & Media Studies

Professor Emeritus

Email: wade@waderowland.com


Wade Rowland is one of Canada's leading literary non-fiction authors. Author of Greed Inc., Galileo's Mistake; Ockham's Razor; and Spirit of the Web; he is a long-time journalist who has worked for the Winnipeg Free Press, the Toronto Telegram and both national Canadian television networks: CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) and the CTV Television Network.

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Rowland holds a doctorate from the faculty of Communication and Culture at York University (Toronto) and teaches the history, sociology and philosophy of communications technologies in the Computer Studies faculty at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. He is a former Maclean Hunter Chair of Ethics in Media at Ryerson University in Toronto.

Degrees

PhD, York University
MA, Trent University
BA, University of Manitoba

Community Contributions

1999-2010 Numerous public appearances. Highlights include:

• Ottawa Author’s Festival;
• Eleanor Wachtel’s “The Arts Tonight,” CBC Radio One;
• CBC Radio One “Tapestry;”
• CBC Radio One “The Current;”
• University of Toronto Bookstore Author Series;
• TVOntario’s “Big Idea;” and
• ROB Television.

Research Interests

Communications , Information Technologies, Communication Studies
Books

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. Spirit of the Web: The Age of Information from Telegraph to Internet. Toronto: Thomas Allen Publishers, 2006 (third edition). 474 pp. An extended essay on the cultural impact. of communications technologies from the phonetic alphabet to Web 2.0. Third edition includes additional material introducing main themes of scholarly inquiry into communication and culture.

2006

Rowland, W. Cupidité Inc.: La Soif des Enterprises. Montreal, Editions Hertubise HMH. 2006.

2006

Rowland, W. Greed, Inc.: Why Corporations Rule Out World and How We Let It Happen. Toronto, Thomas Allen Publishers, 2005; New York, Arcade Publishers, 2006. Published in French as Cupidite Inc.: La Soif des Enterprises. Montreal, Editions Hertubise HMH, 2005. Also published in Korea. An examination of the nature and social impact of the modern business corporation, in the context of critical moral theory. Based on my 2004 doctoral dissertation.

2005

Rowland, W. Galileo's Mistake: The Archaeology of a Myth. Toronto, Thomas Allen Publishers, 2001; New York, Arcade Publishing, 2003, in paper, 2004. An inquiry into the epistemological roots of the dispute between Galileo and the Church. A work of popular scholarship based on my 2001 MA thesis of the same title.

2003

Rowland, W. Ockham's Razor: A Search for Wonder in an Age of Doubt. Toronto, Key Porter Books, 1999. Maclean's best seller. An exploration of the roots of morality in the context of journey through Cathar country in southern France.

1999

Rowland, W. with de Kerckhove, Derrick, Connected Intelligence: The Arrival of the Web Society, Toronto/Amsterdam, Kogan Page. 1997, (224 pp.)

1997

Rowland, W. Nobody Calls Me Mr. Kirck (co-written with Harvey Kirck). Toronto, Collins, 1985.

1985

Rowland, W. Making Connections. Toronto, Macmillan ,1979. (A case-study in investigative journalism on television: the story behind the CBC's award-winning organized crime series. A spring, 1980 Book of the Month Club selection. 226 pp.)

1979

Rowland, W. Oil Spill Countermeasures: The Beaufort Sea and the Search for Oil (with Ross, S.L., Logan, W.J., Milne, J.R.). Ottawa, Department of Fisheries and Environment. 1979, (67 pp.)

1979

Rowland, W. Fuelling Canada's Future. Toronto, Macmillan, 1974. (A critical overview of the energy crisis and energy delivery systems in place or proposed, from CANDU to Syncrude to submarine tankers. 162 pp.)

1974

Rowland, W. The Plot to Save the World, Toronto, Clarke Irwin,1973. A book-length report on international diplomacy's first attempt to come to grips with environmental problems, at the United Nations' Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. 194 pp.

1973

Rowland, W. Our Living World: A Guide to Knowing Your Environment, Toronto, Concept, 1972. Environmental issues for elementary school students.

1972

Rowland, W. The Pollution Guide (with Bennett, John [Tiny]). Toronto, Clarke Irwin. 1972, (170 pp.)

1972

Book Chapters

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. “The Myth of Galileo: An Interview with Wade Rowland.” In Secrets of ‘Angels and Demons:’ The Unauthorized Guide to the Bestselling Novel, Dan Burstein, Arne de Keijzer, (eds.), New York, CDS Books, p. 97-107; paperback April 2009. (2004)

2009

Rowland, W. “Institutional Hurdles to Ethical Behaviour in Media: Challenges Posed by the Modern Business Corporation’s Role in Mass Media and Its Professions.” In International Dimensions of Mass Media Research, Yorgo Pasadeos (Ed.), ATINER Publications, 2007, p. 517-529

2007

Rowland, W. “Introduction” to de Kerckhove, Derrick, Connected Intelligence: The Arrival of the Web Society, Toronto/Amsterdam, Kogan Page, 1997, p. xv-xx. (Published in ten languages.)

1997

Book Reviews

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. Journal of Business Ethics, Volume 71, Number 1, March 2007, pp. 103-105(3). A review of Bernard Hodgson, ed., The Invisible Hand and the Common Good.

2007

Rowland, W. A review of David F. Noble’s Beyond the Promised Land: The Movement and the Myth, in Literary Review of Canada, April 2006.

2006

Journal Articles

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. “Corporate Social Responsibility and Garrett Hardin’s ‘Tragedy of the Commons’ as Myth and Reality,” Journal of Corporate Citizenship, Issue 35, Nov. 2009, (p. 22-36)

2009

Rowland, W. “Fatal Attraction: The CBC’s Richard Stursberg and His Romance With Ratings,” Literary Review of Canada, “Online original,” May.

2009

Rowland, W. “Reflections on Metaphor and Identity in the Cyber-corporation,” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 90, Issue 1, Nov. 2009 (p. 15-28)

2009

Rowland, W. International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, "A Modest Proposal" (for a classaction suit against commercial television for producing an addictive and injurious product).April, 2005. 5 pp.

2005

Rowland, W. Social Epistemology, "Recognizing the Role of the Modern Business Corporation in the `Social Construction' of Technology." April, 2005. 20 pp.

2005

Conference Papers

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. “The Moral Failure of Commercial Mass Media in Liberal Democracies as Economic Inevitability,” Making Media Public Conference, May 2010, York University, Toronto.

2010

Rowland, W. “Gresham’s Law in Early Commercial Radio.” The Radio Conference: A Transnational Forum, July 2009, York University, Toronto.

2009

Rowland, W. "Institutional Hurdles to Ethical Behaviour in Media: challenges posed by the modem business corporation's role in mass media and its professions." ATINER conference on media, May 2007.

2007

Rowland, W. "Three Books." Reflections on the roles of activism, friendship and scholarship in graduate studies. Presented, by invitation, to the March, 2006 Communications and Culture graduate program student conference, Ryerson University.

2006

Public Lectures

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. “Future directions for Media Studies in Canada,” panelist, Intersections 2010, Communication and Culture Graduate Students Association Conference, March 2010, Ryerson University, Toronto

2010

Forthcoming

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. Love and Gravity: Morality and Inconvenient Truths. Submitted for publication and under review. (210 pp.) 2010

2010

Rowland, W. “Gresham’s Law in Early Commercial Radio as a Template for Current Experience with Web-Based Media: the Mechanics of Mediocrity,” Journal of Radio Studies. (submitted, under review) , 2010.

2010


Wade Rowland is one of Canada's leading literary non-fiction authors. Author of Greed Inc., Galileo's Mistake; Ockham's Razor; and Spirit of the Web; he is a long-time journalist who has worked for the Winnipeg Free Press, the Toronto Telegram and both national Canadian television networks: CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) and the CTV Television Network.

Rowland holds a doctorate from the faculty of Communication and Culture at York University (Toronto) and teaches the history, sociology and philosophy of communications technologies in the Computer Studies faculty at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. He is a former Maclean Hunter Chair of Ethics in Media at Ryerson University in Toronto.

Degrees

PhD, York University
MA, Trent University
BA, University of Manitoba

Community Contributions

1999-2010 Numerous public appearances. Highlights include:

• Ottawa Author’s Festival;
• Eleanor Wachtel’s “The Arts Tonight,” CBC Radio One;
• CBC Radio One “Tapestry;”
• CBC Radio One “The Current;”
• University of Toronto Bookstore Author Series;
• TVOntario’s “Big Idea;” and
• ROB Television.

Research Interests

Communications , Information Technologies, Communication Studies

All Publications


Book Chapters

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. “The Myth of Galileo: An Interview with Wade Rowland.” In Secrets of ‘Angels and Demons:’ The Unauthorized Guide to the Bestselling Novel, Dan Burstein, Arne de Keijzer, (eds.), New York, CDS Books, p. 97-107; paperback April 2009. (2004)

2009

Rowland, W. “Institutional Hurdles to Ethical Behaviour in Media: Challenges Posed by the Modern Business Corporation’s Role in Mass Media and Its Professions.” In International Dimensions of Mass Media Research, Yorgo Pasadeos (Ed.), ATINER Publications, 2007, p. 517-529

2007

Rowland, W. “Introduction” to de Kerckhove, Derrick, Connected Intelligence: The Arrival of the Web Society, Toronto/Amsterdam, Kogan Page, 1997, p. xv-xx. (Published in ten languages.)

1997

Book Reviews

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. Journal of Business Ethics, Volume 71, Number 1, March 2007, pp. 103-105(3). A review of Bernard Hodgson, ed., The Invisible Hand and the Common Good.

2007

Rowland, W. A review of David F. Noble’s Beyond the Promised Land: The Movement and the Myth, in Literary Review of Canada, April 2006.

2006

Books

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. Spirit of the Web: The Age of Information from Telegraph to Internet. Toronto: Thomas Allen Publishers, 2006 (third edition). 474 pp. An extended essay on the cultural impact. of communications technologies from the phonetic alphabet to Web 2.0. Third edition includes additional material introducing main themes of scholarly inquiry into communication and culture.

2006

Rowland, W. Cupidité Inc.: La Soif des Enterprises. Montreal, Editions Hertubise HMH. 2006.

2006

Rowland, W. Greed, Inc.: Why Corporations Rule Out World and How We Let It Happen. Toronto, Thomas Allen Publishers, 2005; New York, Arcade Publishers, 2006. Published in French as Cupidite Inc.: La Soif des Enterprises. Montreal, Editions Hertubise HMH, 2005. Also published in Korea. An examination of the nature and social impact of the modern business corporation, in the context of critical moral theory. Based on my 2004 doctoral dissertation.

2005

Rowland, W. Galileo's Mistake: The Archaeology of a Myth. Toronto, Thomas Allen Publishers, 2001; New York, Arcade Publishing, 2003, in paper, 2004. An inquiry into the epistemological roots of the dispute between Galileo and the Church. A work of popular scholarship based on my 2001 MA thesis of the same title.

2003

Rowland, W. Ockham's Razor: A Search for Wonder in an Age of Doubt. Toronto, Key Porter Books, 1999. Maclean's best seller. An exploration of the roots of morality in the context of journey through Cathar country in southern France.

1999

Rowland, W. with de Kerckhove, Derrick, Connected Intelligence: The Arrival of the Web Society, Toronto/Amsterdam, Kogan Page. 1997, (224 pp.)

1997

Rowland, W. Nobody Calls Me Mr. Kirck (co-written with Harvey Kirck). Toronto, Collins, 1985.

1985

Rowland, W. Making Connections. Toronto, Macmillan ,1979. (A case-study in investigative journalism on television: the story behind the CBC's award-winning organized crime series. A spring, 1980 Book of the Month Club selection. 226 pp.)

1979

Rowland, W. Oil Spill Countermeasures: The Beaufort Sea and the Search for Oil (with Ross, S.L., Logan, W.J., Milne, J.R.). Ottawa, Department of Fisheries and Environment. 1979, (67 pp.)

1979

Rowland, W. Fuelling Canada's Future. Toronto, Macmillan, 1974. (A critical overview of the energy crisis and energy delivery systems in place or proposed, from CANDU to Syncrude to submarine tankers. 162 pp.)

1974

Rowland, W. The Plot to Save the World, Toronto, Clarke Irwin,1973. A book-length report on international diplomacy's first attempt to come to grips with environmental problems, at the United Nations' Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. 194 pp.

1973

Rowland, W. Our Living World: A Guide to Knowing Your Environment, Toronto, Concept, 1972. Environmental issues for elementary school students.

1972

Rowland, W. The Pollution Guide (with Bennett, John [Tiny]). Toronto, Clarke Irwin. 1972, (170 pp.)

1972

Journal Articles

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. “Corporate Social Responsibility and Garrett Hardin’s ‘Tragedy of the Commons’ as Myth and Reality,” Journal of Corporate Citizenship, Issue 35, Nov. 2009, (p. 22-36)

2009

Rowland, W. “Fatal Attraction: The CBC’s Richard Stursberg and His Romance With Ratings,” Literary Review of Canada, “Online original,” May.

2009

Rowland, W. “Reflections on Metaphor and Identity in the Cyber-corporation,” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 90, Issue 1, Nov. 2009 (p. 15-28)

2009

Rowland, W. International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, "A Modest Proposal" (for a classaction suit against commercial television for producing an addictive and injurious product).April, 2005. 5 pp.

2005

Rowland, W. Social Epistemology, "Recognizing the Role of the Modern Business Corporation in the `Social Construction' of Technology." April, 2005. 20 pp.

2005

Conference Papers

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. “The Moral Failure of Commercial Mass Media in Liberal Democracies as Economic Inevitability,” Making Media Public Conference, May 2010, York University, Toronto.

2010

Rowland, W. “Gresham’s Law in Early Commercial Radio.” The Radio Conference: A Transnational Forum, July 2009, York University, Toronto.

2009

Rowland, W. "Institutional Hurdles to Ethical Behaviour in Media: challenges posed by the modem business corporation's role in mass media and its professions." ATINER conference on media, May 2007.

2007

Rowland, W. "Three Books." Reflections on the roles of activism, friendship and scholarship in graduate studies. Presented, by invitation, to the March, 2006 Communications and Culture graduate program student conference, Ryerson University.

2006

Public Lectures

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. “Future directions for Media Studies in Canada,” panelist, Intersections 2010, Communication and Culture Graduate Students Association Conference, March 2010, Ryerson University, Toronto

2010

Forthcoming

Publication
Year

Rowland, W. Love and Gravity: Morality and Inconvenient Truths. Submitted for publication and under review. (210 pp.) 2010

2010

Rowland, W. “Gresham’s Law in Early Commercial Radio as a Template for Current Experience with Web-Based Media: the Mechanics of Mediocrity,” Journal of Radio Studies. (submitted, under review) , 2010.

2010