Political Economy of
Mass Media
PRESENTED BY:
ANUM ZULFIQAR, SHAFAQ DANISH
&
AQSA KHALID
Key ideas
Introduction
Elementsof the general political
economy approach
Impacts on media content
Specialisations – Areas of analysis
Critiques of political economy
Introduction
Political economy of the media includes several domains
including journalism, broadcasting, advertising, and
information and communication technology.
A political economy approach analyzes the power
relationships between politics, mediation, and economics.
Political Economy of Communication
The political economy of communication reconnoiters the patterns of
production, distribution,
and consumption of communication resources in a society and sheds
light on the operations of
communication business. It is an expedient apparatus to recognize
“the role of media in societies
and examine how market structures, policies and subsidies, and
organizational structures shape
and determine the nature of media system and media content”
(McChesney, 2008, p. 491)
Political Economy of the Mass Media
(Herman and Noam Chomsky)
Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass
Media is a 1988 book by Edward S. Herman and Noam
Chomsky arguing that the mass communication media of the
U.S. "are effective and powerful ideological institutions that
carry out a system supportive propaganda function, by reliance
on market forces, internalized assumptions, and self-
censorship, and without overt coercion", by means of the
propaganda model of communication.
Political economy
For us: How do Channels of ownership affect the media?
We will try to find Answers of Following Questions of Ownership
Who owns the Content we see and the communication networks that we use?
Who is profiting from the sale of media texts?
Who is selling us as an audience?
Elements of the general political economy approach
1. The capitalist-intensive nature of mass media
large limits to market entry
very small number of media organisations
concentration of media ownership
cross-media ownership is common
2. The agendas of corporate media owners
Owners of media outlets may directly influence content
Media owners work hard to appease political parties that
support them
continued
3. Commercial pressures on media outlets
The culture of ratings
The blurring of advertising and content
4. News work-News sources relationships
Sources such as politicians and the police are used frequently
and are therefore able to frame issues and dictate news agendas.
Impacts on media content
1. Creating a rhetorical atmosphere
Climates of opinion are often created
Dominant ideas may be constructed and
perpetuated at certain points in time
This may also apply to political ideas – a
highly patriotic atmosphere may be created
which can promote government
agendas
continued
2. Corporate ‘No-Go’ areas
Certain issues are not discussed in the media at all.
There is little discussion about media owners and their
interests, no criticism of advertisers and their interests, no
criticism of sponsors for particular program.
There is a general lack of critical investigative
journalism on these important issues.
continued
3. De politicisation
Political economists argue that the trend has been
towards ‘lowest common denominator’
programming.
This means that complex issues in the media are
often reduced to personal stories
These trends mean that citizens are treated as
consumers and are depoliticised.
Specialisations – Areas of analysis
Herman and Chomsky’s Propaganda Model
Media is a type of social institution, whose function is to integrate
citizens into society by helping uphold the status quo
The media work to conceal the inequalities between classes in
society
The propaganda model works through five “filters”.
These “interact with and reinforce one another.
The five ‘Filters’
Size, Ownership and Profit Orientation
The Advertising Licence to do Business
Sourcing Mass Media News
Flak and the Enforcers
Anti-Communism as a Control
Mechanism
Economics of Mass Media Institutions
1. Ownership Structures
2. Examination of Budgets
3. Rhythms of the Economy
Audiences as a tradable commodity
Thisparticular form of political economy analysis was developed
by Dallas Smythe
He argued that audiences are sold to advertisers and become
commodities in themselves
For Smythe, content such as TV programmes become simply bait
with which to attract audiences so they can be targeted by
advertisers.
Media commodities
If you can not tell what the commodity is, it is probably you
Michael Moore Said, The rich man will sell you the rope to hang
him with.
Critiques of the political economy approach
Overlooks contradictions within the system
Economic forces are over-emphasised
Political economy needs to be supplemented with analysis of
media texts themselves
