Overview

Capitalism is the most powerful, creative and destructive social system the world has ever seen. Vigorously celebrated and fiercely contested, it provides the backdrop for the pipelines and platforms that supply audiences with entertainment, information and connection. This book provides an accessible introduction to the key characteristics of capitalism and illustrates how they shape and distort our media and communications landscapes. Exploring concepts including accumulation, exploitation, ideology, oppression, commodification and colonization, the book discusses the impact of these processes on everything from our experiences online and the dynamics of algorithms to the power of oligarchs and the media's role in the escalating environmental crisis. At a time when technology is often heralded as either the cause or the solution to issues of polarization, disinformation and atomization, an understanding of the simultaneous resilience and fragility of capitalism is essential. Capitalism and the Media is important reading for students of media, communications, cultural studies and politics and provides a valuable resource for scholars and activists.

Full Product Details

9781509565313

Table of Contents

Reviews

""A vital corrective to technological determinism, Freedman masterfully reasserts capitalism's centrality in the digital age. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand who truly controls what we watch, read and think."" Nick Srnicek, King's College, London, and author of Silicon Empires ""With clarity and precision, Freedman dismantles the deep entanglements between capitalism and media that structure our social, cultural and economic realities. Incisive and urgent ‒ this book is important reading for anyone seeking to understand how systemic power operates."" Jennifer Holt, UC Santa Barbara, and author of Cloud Policy

Author Information

Des Freedman is Professor of Media and Communication Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London.

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