Political economy of communications

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The Political Economy of Communications is a particular branch in Communication studies or media studies which studies the power relations that shape the communication of information from the mass media to its public. [1] PEC (Political Economy of Communications) analyzes the power relations between the mass media system, information and communications technologies (ICTs) and the wider socioeconomic structure in which these operate, with a focus on understanding the historical and current state of technological developments. [2] [3] PEC has proliferated in the 2000s with the modernization of technology. [4] The advancement of media has created conversation about the effects of colonialism and PEC. [4]

Contents

Influences

Harold Innis, a foundational teacher of political economy. Harold Innis public-domain library archives-canada.jpg
Harold Innis, a foundational teacher of political economy.

One of the earliest modern works in political economy of communications scholarship is from Harold Innis, these theories were compiled in the book Empire and Communications . Innis directly inspired Marshall McLuhan, a colleague of his at the University of Toronto, who would later be made famous for the dictum "the medium is the message". Subsequent PEC approaches have been heavily influenced by Marxist thought and democratic politics, as it questions the powers residing within communications and the state necessary for democracy to be realized. [5] Below the theories and their approaches are explained:

Marshall McLuhan, a cornerstone theorizer of media studies. Often known for the quotation, "the medium is the message." Marshall McLuhan with and on television (cropped).jpg
Marshall McLuhan, a cornerstone theorizer of media studies. Often known for the quotation, "the medium is the message."

Along with Innis and McLuhan, the political economy of communications was significantly impacted by economist Robert A. Brady’s teachings. Brady initiated a search of social practices and emerging authoritarianism that were later explored by Dallas W. Smythe and Herbert I. Schiller. [8] [9] Brady did not officially work with the structure of Marxist philosophy; he was rather focused on “the interaction of social and economic factors in a business. [10] Lastly, after pursuing research Brady concluded that the principal issue was whether planning and decision making within a company could adapt to decision making by majority of votes. [4]

Central Characteristics

There are four central characteristics that are integral to expanding the definition of PEC. They provide the means to analyze an issue, technology or way of life through a political economic perspective. [11] The characteristics are as follows:

Main Topics of Study

The political economy of communications looks at a range of issues that affect society. Below are the main topics of study that political economists often discuss.

Logo of News Corp, a mass media conglomerate and a subject of concentrated ownership. News Corp logo 2013.svg
Logo of News Corp, a mass media conglomerate and a subject of concentrated ownership.

Journalism and Media

Because journalism/news media is the core to a functioning democratic society, [18] PEC works towards the goal of "healthy journalism."

Healthy journalism can be defined through four characteristics, outlined by Robert W. McChesney. The first characteristic is ensuring that journalists are thorough and exhaustive in reports of the elite. The second is ensuring that the news being produced keeps the needs of the larger public in mind, as their power resides in knowledge and not property. Thirdly, it must remain truthful, and has systems in place to guarantee the truth. Lastly, a range of opinions on a wide array of topics is required as to provide insight and depth on what is happening, what is to happen and what to do about it. [19] Unfortunately for democracy, the current state of news media around the world and especially that of the United States, falls short of the general consensus among media scholars and democratic theory on what is considered to be healthy journalism. This is due in part to the overwhelming amount of public relations material being posed as news. [20] [19]

It is in the interest of PEC that journalism instead provide a "rigorous account" of those in power, meet the information needs of all classes and people, be truthful, and act as an early warning system that provides a "wide range of informed opinions on the most important issues of our time." [19]

Propaganda : systematic thoughts, using information to influence audiences with the desire is to change their behaviors. The propaganda model can be made by anyone, who wants to advocate their thoughts. Different from the concept Ideology which operates unconsciously, propaganda is operated intentionally. The term propaganda model relates to news media, includes 5 filters which suggests how the news is "filtered" and edited into a content that suits the demand and interests of those people who have more power and wealth, especially corporations and the government. [21] [22]

New Media

The mass media are undoubtedly experiencing considerable changes in platform, technology, and economic structure (e.g., crowdfunding, social media) as the digital era continues to shift people toward new media. [1] Traditional financial configurations and business models have been destabilized by this transformation. However, new mechanisms of power have emerged from this more open system of information and news creation. The availability of information can now be skewed or influenced through "search, aggregation, and digital distribution infrastructures" (p. 493). [20] Vincent Mosco's definition of political economic studies, where the "production, distribution, and consumption of resources, including communication resources” are essential, remains relevant in times of new media since a new network economy or society forms its own power relations. [23] [24] [20] [25]

Related Research Articles

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Anti-capitalism is a political ideology and movement encompassing a variety of attitudes and ideas that oppose capitalism. In this sense, anti-capitalists are those who wish to replace capitalism with another type of economic system, such as socialism, anarchism, communism, syndicalism, or some combination of the latter four.

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References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 Havens, Timothy; Lotz, Amanda D. (2012). Understanding Media Industries. New York, N. Y.: Oxford University Press. pp.  2–9. ISBN   978-0-19-539767-3.
  3. 1 2 Dal, Yong Jin (2011-01-01). The Political Economies of Media. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN   9781849664264. OCLC   798294461.
  4. 1 2 3 Mosco, Vincent. (2009). The Political Economy of Communication. Sage Publications. ISBN   978-1-4462-0494-8. OCLC   764574175.
  5. ↑ Hardy, Jonathan (2014-06-01). "Critical political economy of communications: A mid-term review" (PDF). International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics. 10 (2): 189–202. doi:10.1386/macp.10.2.189_1.
  6. ↑ Fuchs, Christan (2014). "WikiLeaks and the Critique of the Political Economy". International Journal of Communication. 8 (1932–8036/2014FEA0002): 2718–2732.
  7. ↑ Fuchs, Christian; Mosco, Vincent (2016-01-01). Marx and the Political Economy of the Media. BRILL. doi:10.1163/9789004291416. ISBN   978-90-04-29140-9.
  8. ↑ Schiller, Dan (April 1999). "The Legacy of Robert A. Brady: Antifascist Origins of the Political Economy of Communications". Journal of Media Economics. 12 (2): 89–101. doi:10.1207/s15327736me1202_2. ISSN   0899-7764.
  9. ↑ Cuadernos de Información y Comunicación, CIC (2018-10-05). "El carnaval de las coplas. Un arte de Cádiz. María Luisa Páramo. Izana, 2017". Cuadernos de Información y Comunicación. 23: 239–240. doi: 10.5209/ciyc.60693 . ISSN   1988-4001.
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  12. ↑ Stanford, Jim (2015). Economics for Everyone a Short Guide to the Economics of Capitalism. Pluto Press. ISBN   978-1-78371-326-4. OCLC   934665793.
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  17. ↑ Harvey, David (2005). "Freedom's Just Another Word" (PDF). In a Brief History of Neoliberalism: 5–38.
  18. ↑ Christians, Clifford G.; Glasser, Theodore L.; McQuail, Denis; Nordenstreng, Kaarle; White, Robert A. (2009-01-01). Normative Theories of the Media: Journalism in Democratic Societies. University of Illinois Press. ISBN   9780252034237. JSTOR   10.5406/j.ctt1xcjws.
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  20. 1 2 3 Picard, Robert G. (2014-09-03). "Twilight or New Dawn of Journalism?". Journalism Studies. 15 (5): 500–510. doi:10.1080/1461670X.2014.895530. ISSN   1461-670X. S2CID   144122089.
  21. ↑ Herman, Edward S. (2002). Manufacturing consent : the political economy of the mass media. Chomsky, Noam (Updated ed.). New York. ISBN   0-375-71449-9. OCLC   47971712.
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