Matthew Fraser

Professor

Biography

Professor Fraser is a specialist in the global media, international relations, journalism, and the entertainment industries. He teaches courses on the global politics of pop culture, media law, and media industry economics. Dr Fraser's current research is focused on the history of media, iconoclasm, and social protest.  

He is also the author of several books, notably Weapons of Mass Distraction: Soft Power and American Empire, about the influence of pop culture on geopolitics. His most recent book, Monumental Fury: The History of Iconoclasm and the Future of Our Past, examines the history of violence against statues, monuments, and works of art. Before joining The American University of Paris faculty, he was a newspaper columnist, editor-in-chief and television host in Canada. He occasionally contributes to international media such as CNN, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal on issues related to media and French current affairs, and has been interviewed and quoted in The Guardian, The Economist, and on the BBC. 

Education/Degrees

  • DEA, PhD, Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris
  • Graduate studies: London School of Economics, Oxford University, Paris-Sorbonne I
  • MJ, Carleton University, Ottawa
  • BAA, Ryerson University, Toronto
  • BA, Victoria College, University of Toronto

News

"Vladimir Putin's Cathedral in Paris" Feb. 16, 2023
Nov. 30, 2022, "Masterpiece Theater" JSTOR Daily
June 11, 2018, "The legal fight against ‘fake news’ must not veer into censorship", The Conversation
Nov. 20, 2015, "For Parisians, shock is solidarity", CNN.com
January 12, 2014, "Alleged Hollande affair shows 'old rules no longer apply," CNN.com
Jan. 8, 2013, "Depardieu's puzzling love for Russia", CNN.com
June 6, 2011, "The French Fight U.S. Dominance, in All Its Forms", New York Times

Publications

  • Caricatures, Canards, and Guignols: Satirical Journalism in France from the French Revolution to Fifth Republic (Journalism and Media, 2024)
  • Monumental Fury: The History of Iconoclasm and the Future of Our Past (Prometheus, 2022)
  • In Truth: A History of Lies from Ancient Rome to Modern America (Prometheus, 2020)
  • Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom (Wiley, 2009)
  • Weapons of Mass Distraction (St Martin's, 2005)
  • Free for All (Stoddart, 1999)
  • Quebec Inc (Key Porter, 1987)