The Political Economy of Media : Enduring Issues, Emerging Dilemmas

Contents: Preface. Introduction. I. Journalism. 1. The Problem of Journalism. 2. A Century of Radical media criticism in the United States. 3. Upton Sinclair and the contradictions of capitalist journalism. 4. Telling the truth at a moment of truth: U.S. News media and the invasion and occupation of Iraq. 5. How to think about journalism: Looking backward, going forward. II. Critical Studies. 6. The battle for the U.S. Airwaves, 1928-1935. 7. The Payne Fund and radio broadcasting, 1928-1935. 8. Media Made sport: A history of sports coverage in the United States. 9. Public broadcasting in the age of communication revolution. 10. The new theology of the first amendment: Class privilege over democracy. 11. The Commercial tidal Wave. 12. Noam Chomsky and the struggle against Neoliberalism. 13. The new economy: Myth and Reality. 14. The political economy of international communications. III. Politics and Media Reform. 15.  Off-limits: An Inquiry into the Lock of Debate over the ownership, structure and control of the media in U.S. Political life. 16. The internet and U.S. Communication Policymaking in Historical and critical perspective. 17. U.S. Left and Media Politics. 18. Global Media and Its Discontents. 19. Theses on Media Deregulation. 20. Rich media, poor democracy: Communication politics in dubious times. 21. The case for U.S. Public Broadcasting and implications for Philanthropists. 22. the Escalating War Against Corporate Media. 23. The U.S. Media Reform Movement going forward. Index.

More than any other work, The Political Economy of Media demonstrates the incompatibility of the corporate media system with a viable democratic public sphere, and the corrupt policymaking process that brings the system into existence. Among the most acclaimed communication scholars in the world, Robert W. McChesney has brought together all the major themes of his two decades of research. Rich in detail, evidence and thoughtful arguments, The Political Economy of Media provides a comprehensive critique of the degradation of journalism, the hyper-commercialization of culture, the internet and the emergence of the contemporary media reform movement. The Political Economy of Media is mandatory reading for anyone wishing to understand and change media and the political economy, in the world today.(jacket)