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Political Economy of Media

The Basics and Et. Ceteras. Political Economy of Media. Economics?. The study of the allocation of scarce resources. The study of how societies use scarce resources to produce valuable commodities and distribute them among different groups (Albarran 2002). Or not?... Macro or Micro?.

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Political Economy of Media

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  1. The Basics and Et. Ceteras Political Economy of Media

  2. Economics? • The study of the allocation of scarce resources. • The study of how societies use scarce resources to produce valuable commodities and distribute them among different groups (Albarran 2002). Or not?... • Macro or Micro?

  3. Media Economics? • Study of how media industries use scarce resources to produce content that is distributed among consumers in a society to satisfy various wants and needs. • Definitional problems???

  4. Economic Systems • Capitalism or Free Market…supply/demand! • Private • Public • Profit

  5. Capitalism as Social Production • Global economy: everybody is reliant on everyone else for everything that they need. • Large scale production; collective labor • Paradox: private profit

  6. Mosco • Control and Survival • “social relations, particularly power relations, that mutually constitute the production, distribution and consumption of resources.” (Mosco 1996) • “Who gets (allocation policy) what scarce goods and resources, when, how (historical analysis of capital, control, and organization), and where?”(Smythe 1960) • What is the point of media???

  7. Moral Economics • Adam Smith “invisible hand” • self interest, supply/demand, scarcity • Marx/Engels: base/superstructure • 4 Dimensions: • History • Social Totality • Moral Philosophy (public good, equality, etc) • Praxis

  8. Mosco Cont'd • Commodification: • goods/services w/ use value=financial value...media? • Spatialization: • globalization...media? • Structuration: • Religious, institutional, gov., labor, class, race, gender...media? • Hegemony?

  9. Political Economy of Media • The study of political policies and economic processes, their interrelations and their mutual influence on social institutions. • The study of the structure and policies of communication institutions in their social settings (Dallas Smythe) • Social and power relations!!!

  10. So, basically… • The study of media as COMMODITIES sold in MARKETS. • Content/Cultural Industries • Control, power, influence • Ideology? • Democracy, life, happiness

  11. The ?s We'll Ask • How and what media content is produced and distributed? • How are decisions made? • Who makes those decisions and who benefits? • How are prices determined for media products? • Why do we pay for some media products and not others? • What is the responsibility of the media towards building and supporting democratic societies?

  12. Concentration/Consolidation • Ownership • Majority/Minority? • Control • Market Share Let’s just look… who controls/whose interests do they serve?

  13. Corporate Media • Corporate media refers to a system of media production, distribution, ownership, and funding which is dominated by corporations, and is governed by the capitalist imperatives of maximizing profits for the investors, stockholders, and advertisers.

  14. Good/Bad? • Good: • Increased competitiveness • Reduced cost • Diversity • Bad: • No healthy competition • Less diversity • Minority voice • Loyal to adverts, gov., and $$$ not public

  15. 51%, $30B, $13.75B, $13.4M Lobby? • Broadcast, Studio, Parks, Hulu • My Pipes NOW My Content • Vertical Integration/Diversification/Synergy • Justice Dept.=anti-trust and FCC=public interest • Consumers???

  16. Comcast/NBC Cont'd • 6 Ways it may affect consumers: • 1. Raise cable costs to other providers • 2. Pay for what was free • 3. ESPN • 4. Hulu/Web Delivery/Net Neutrality • 5. Prompt more consolidation • 6. Bomb

  17. AT&T / T-Mobile • $39B “merger” • Would make largest provider in U.S. • Justice Dept. negged/sued • “anti-competitive”, lessen competition/choice • “eliminate a low cost competitor” and innovator • FCC “in the public interest?”

  18. Citizen vs. Consumer

  19. Subjective Objectivity

  20. The Story of Stuff • Story of Electronics... • Think about Media??? • Extraction • Production • Distribution • Consumption • Disposal

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