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The Political Economy of Communications is a particular branch in
One of the earliest modern works in political economy of communications scholarship is from 
Along with
Communication studies
Communication studies or communication science is an academic discipline that deals with processes of human communication and behavior, patterns of communication in interpersonal relationships, social interactions and communication in differen ...
or media studies
Media studies is a discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history, and effects of various media; in particular, the mass media. Media Studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly ...
which studies the power relations that shape the communication of information from the mass media
Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets.
Broadcast media transmit information ...
to its public. PEC (Political Economy of Communications) analyzes the power relations between the mass media system, information and communications technologies (ICTs) and the wider socioeconomic structure in which these operate, with a focus on understanding the historical and current state of technological developments.PEC has proliferated in the 2000s with the modernization of technology. The advancement of media has created conversation about the effects of colonialism and PEC.
Influences
One of the earliest modern works in political economy of communications scholarship is from Harold Innis
Harold Adams Innis (November 5, 1894 – November 9, 1952) was a Canadian professor of political economy at the University of Toronto and the author of seminal works on media, communication theory, and Canadian economic history. He helped devel ...
, these theories were compiled in the book ''Empire and Communications
''Empire and Communications'' is a book published in 1950 by University of Toronto professor Harold Innis. It is based on six lectures Innis delivered at Oxford University in 1948. The series, known as the Beit Lectures, was dedicated to explori ...
''. Innis
Innis may refer to:
Places
* Innis, Louisiana, U.S.
* Innis College, University of Toronto, Canada
People Surname
* Harold Innis (1894–1952), Canadian political economy professor who wrote on communication
* Hubert Van Innis (1866–1961), Bel ...
directly inspired Marshall McLuhan
Herbert Marshall McLuhan (July 21, 1911 – December 31, 1980) was a Canadian philosopher whose work is among the cornerstones of the study of media theory. He studied at the University of Manitoba and the University of Cambridge. He began his ...
, a colleague of his at the University of Toronto, who would later be made famous for the dictum "t''he medium is the message''". Subsequent PEC approaches have been heavily influenced by Marxist thought and democratic politics, as it questions the powers residing within communications and the state necessary for democracy to be realized.Below the theories and their approaches are explained:
* Marxist
Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...
thought - The moral philosophy
Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...
(or ethics) of PEC often criticizes capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...
for its effect on media and democracy, this idea originates from the critical theory
A critical theory is any approach to social philosophy that focuses on society and culture to reveal, critique and challenge power structures. With roots in sociology and literary criticism, it argues that social problems stem more from soci ...
works of Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...
. A common critique of critical political economy (often from the cultural studies
Cultural studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the political dynamics of contemporary culture (including popular culture) and its historical foundations. Cultural studies researchers generally investigate how cultural practices re ...
approach) is that, like Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 p ...
, it fetishizes capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...
and is deterministic technologically
Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...
and/or economically.Christian Fuchs and Vincent Mosco in their book ''Marx and the Political Economy of the Media'' compile the affects of media communication in a capitalist society. They note that the media is a circulator and contributor of ideologies, even more so with the prevalence of alternative news sources.
* Democratic Politics - PEC views media and information as the ultimate democratizer of power, and thus includes social praxis
Praxis may refer to:
Philosophy and religion
* Praxis (process), the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted, practised, embodied, or realised
* Praxis model, a way of doing theology
* Praxis (Byzantine Rite), the practice of fai ...
as a criterion. Ultimately, this means that PEC encourages media reform and government intervention in the marketplace.
Along with Innis
Innis may refer to:
Places
* Innis, Louisiana, U.S.
* Innis College, University of Toronto, Canada
People Surname
* Harold Innis (1894–1952), Canadian political economy professor who wrote on communication
* Hubert Van Innis (1866–1961), Bel ...
and McLuhan McLuhan is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Eric McLuhan (1941–2018), Canadian writer
* Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980), Canadian educator, philosopher and scholar
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