The Political Economy of Media: Enduring Issues, Emerging Dilemmas (Paperback)

~ Robert W. McChesney (Author) "This book is the companion volume for my 2007 New Press book, Communication Revolution: Critical Junctures and the Future of Media..." (more)
Key Phrases: network neutrality, net neutrality, radical press criticism, United States, First Amendment, Payne Fund (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The influence of media on society is unquestioned. Its reach penetrates nearly every corner of the world and every aspect of life. But it has also been a contested realm, embodying class politics and the interests of monopoly capital. In The Political Economy of Media, one of the foremost media critics of our time, Robert W. McChesney, provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic and political powers that are being mobilized to consolidate private control of media with increasing profit — all at the expense of democracy.

In this elegant and lucid collection, McChesney examines the monopolistic competition that has created a global media that is ever more concentrated and centralized. McChesney reveals why questions about the ownership of commercial U.S. media remain off limits within the political culture; how private ownership of media leads to the degradation of journalism and suppression of genuine debate; and why corporate rule threatens democracy by failing to provide the means for an educated and informed citizenry. The Political Economy of Media also highlights resistance to corporate media over the last century, including the battle between broadcasters and the public in the 1920s and 1930s and the ongoing media reform movement today. The Political Economy of Media makes it clear that the struggle over the ownership and the role of media is of utmost importance to everyone.

About the Author

Robert W. McChesney is a professor in the Institute of Communications Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is the author of The Problem of the Media: U.S. Communication Politics in the Twenty-First Century (Monthly Review Press), Rich Media, Poor Democracy: Communication Politics in Dubious Times (New Press), Corporate Media and the Threat to Democracy (Open Media), and Telecommunications, Mass Media, and Democracy: The Battle for the Control of U.S. Broadcasting (Oxford University Press).

Product Details

• Paperback: 589 pages
• Publisher: Monthly Review Press (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583671617
• ISBN-13: 978-1583671610
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #171,370 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sharply worded critique of how journalism has decayed, June 9, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Robert W. McChesney (Professor in the Department of Communication, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) presents The Political Economy of the Media: Enduring Issues, Emerging Dilemmas, a sharply worded critique of how journalism has decayed in today's modern, overly commercialized culture. On the bright side, an emerging media reform movement has arrived in response to the degraded ability of the modern media to be a watchdog for democracy and consumers. An in-depth social treatise concerning the crucial role the media plays in human society worldwide, The Political Economy of the Media is highly recommended especially for college library collections, as well as political science and media studies scholars.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunning read for the novice communications critic, October 2, 2008

By	Rick - See all my reviews

Don't let the title of the review fool you; the reviews on the back of the book assure me that it's a thrill to read for the master media critic, as well, but since I know next to nothing about contemporary media criticism, I can only view it through the novice lens. Let me finish my preface by saying that I'm reading this book because I'm in the author's course on "Money, Media, and Power"

McChesney classifies himself as a Political Economist of Media: a member of the class of media critics who aren't afraid to scrutinize the structure of the media, economy, and political system being analyzed. By viewing the most pressing issues in communications today without being afraid to examine the role of the institutions the issues are situated in, Political Economists of Media in general and McChesney in particular are able to gain a perspective that is both unusually broad and long.

The result is that the book raises profoundly under-asked questions that address core issues facing every member of American society, and the book hints at solutions that might rely on incredibly radical reforms. However, if you read the book objectively, you'll be more convinced than ever that our system is fatally flawed and the only types of reforms that will work will be very radical indeed.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book!, September 10, 2008

By	Madiha A. Hashmi "binge reader" (Dubai) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

McChesney's book has the power to ignite a strong movement against the corporate control of mass media institutions. It is one of the most pressing and relevant issues faced by the world that demands immediate action and active campaigning.