Political Economy of Communication - Assignment Example

Name: Professor: Course: Due date: 1) How did the role of communication change during Europe’s ‘Enlightenment’? Understanding the history of the world is such an important development. However, this could only be possible if different ideas that changed during the 1600s and late 1700s are well understood. During this time, many ideas which can be termed as enlightenment were formed. Before this era, the world lacked good understanding of what was happening and the way the world was working. However, with realization of different ideas, communication was later embraced as an important tool for understanding how the world was working and also as a tool for changing the world to be the way the philosophers wanted it. This was very significant for changing the role of communication during the enlightenment era in Europe. First and foremost, communication was used to disregard and do away with any false impressions that different people may hold. For instance, before the enlightenment and the inclusion of communication to explain different ideas and concepts already formed in the minds of people about the world during enlightenment. Enlightenment can be defined in many different ways. However, the broadest definition for enlightenment is the philosophical and intellectual as well as cultural movement that existed between the 18th and the 19 centuries. The most important feature with enlightenment is that it stressed reason and logic as well as logic and criticism freedom in the thoughts of people over the previously held dogmatic beliefs, and blind faith as well as superstition. During this time, communication was used by the philosophers although in writings, salons and other different forms to communicate with other philosophers and people in the European society. Communication’s role was perceived to have changed significantly during this enlightenment. Through communication for instance, the philosophers were able to challenge old ideas like the earth was flat and geocentric, people were born in different social environments and that kings and rulers were absolutely chosen ones of God that majority of the people held. Without communication, enlightenment would have been a difficult thing to achieve. During enlightenment and as many world philosophers struggled to make Europe and the world as a whole a better place to live in, communication was given priority in steering democratization among different countries in Europe including France, Russia and Poland. Communication could also play the role of advocating religious tolerance, existence of checks and balances, explaining inner humans and their rights through instilling new knowledge to the people. On the same line, communication was used by the philosophers to challenge some of the ideas that were believed to be incorrect like freedom of speech. Since communication was very significant, it was used by philosophers to write different books to communicate different ideas especially by demonstrating how people were able to govern, learn and correct mistakes on their own and becoming potentially able for change. However, to facilitate this was communication which was taking place among the philosophers which allowed full exchange of information. 2) How can new forms of media, such as pamphlets or on-line writing, contribute to political or intellectual revolution? Different media in the recent past have played a very central role in influencing the political and the intellectual revolution in the world today. While political revolution can be described as the change in the political systems or rule or even a change in the way people do something in a given political context, intellectual revolution, is the change in the state of minds of people found in a societal setting that influences their ability to tackle different and emerging issues in the society. Media advancement in the society today especially new forms, have contributed to change in the two aspects of Life. Two such important media forms that have contributed significantly to political and intellectual revolution are pamphlets and on-line writings. This is because the two forms have the potential to in transferring information from one person to another and in the process trying to influence the minds of people and the way they do things. Pamphlets for instance are published documents written by philosophers on different issues affecting society like political systems and the process of democratization which to an extent affects the people’s life both socially and economically. On the other hand, on-line printing, involves the process of writing different articles that discusses important issues of the society and publishing them on-line with the aid of the recent technology supported by the internet. The most important feature with this media is that it can be accessed virtually with almost every person in the world within a very short time. With these two forms of media, political and intellectual revolutions are now very eminent. For instance, people from different quarters, social background and origin, have the chance to exchange information on what may be considered the best approaches to designing political systems that suit the needs of the people of a given setting economically, socially and politically. The information found in these forms of media in many occasions is used to benchmark what could be termed as the best way people could like to be governed and how issues affecting are expected to be solved. In the political evolution for instance, pamphlets and on-line writings have seen great revolution in many of the Arab countries in the recent past in what can be termed as bad political leadership by the then country leaders. Some of the countries where political revolution has taken place and castigated by the media include Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen. This followed the revelation that the respective leadership was not addressing what the citizens wanted. On the other hand, intellectual revolution is being witnessed from the way media has helped create consciousness among people by helping them understand on the need to be positive about certain human conditions that require order, logic and rule of law. This can be applied in areas like abolishing party systems, establishing self rule and maintaining a standing military. 3) What do you think explains the development of propaganda in the twentieth century? Propaganda can be described as the act of giving certain information with the aim of manipulating the public opinion. In the 20th century propaganda has been on the rise and this has been attributed to a number of factors which include the invention of new communication media such as radio and television as well as advancement in art and the printing press. These factors are important in selling or rather developing propaganda in the public arena because any information delivered through them reaches the masses within a very short period of time. What causes propaganda and makes it effective, is the way it’s presented and if it has the capacity to influence the public on the already existing opinion. The identified media are distinguished as major contributors to the development of propaganda in the 20th century since they could easily be manipulated and make a deliberate communication which can easily mislead or even sway the public opinion. The invention of the radio, television, printing press and advancement in art have gradually contributed to the increase in propaganda in the 20th century and more importantly in use by governments for political propaganda where the incumbent governments tend to cause manipulation on the public opinion for what is already known. The invention of radio and television in the 20th century, have played a very central role in the development of propaganda. Some of the factors that have led to the need to increase use of propaganda are the existence of the modern media, the global warfare and the increase in the extremist political parties worldwide. It is important also to mention that since world wars were very extensive alongside tyrannical and political regimes in the 20th century, are among the social factors that have led to the development of propaganda during this century. This is because propaganda was considered to provide the best psychological weapon and also to bolster morale at home against any enemy. The British government for instance, was the first government to use war propaganda. This could be learned from how the government during World War One engaged the Department of Information in the process of coordinating the spread of propaganda by the government. During this period various articles could be written and distributed both locally and internationally. All parties considered important including the press and other foreign governments, with the hope that they will report positively on the British Government effort on war both locally and internationally. During this time, much of the information could be transmitted by use of telegraph. However, because technology was fairly advanced, people who received the information first, were advantaged. This is because it was easy to influence the audiences which received the information later on and this could be in favor of the propaganda originator. 4) How might the internet be said to upset the political economy of communication? While political economy of communication has been described as the process of focusing on different structures that are used for the production of media and the communication industry under capitalism, and the production of and consumption of different media and communication as well as flow of information, the emergence of the internet, has come to play a very central role in upsetting this order. This is because with the internet, there is no formal structure to follow in communication and that different types of values can be produced, distributed and exchanged as well as consumed, power produced, distributed and even exchanged and used and how are related with each other without the influence of any single individual in the political economy. With the internet coming into place, first and most important element that has been eliminated in the political economy of communication is the role of capitalism. This is because the process of production and consumption of different information can no longer be controlled by one single individual. Through the internet, information can be created from one single point and distributed globally without following any structure and without being controlled by an individual. This is to mean that the internet limits the power of controlling and limiting the process of producing, distributing and consuming any peace of information as could be the case of the former media like the radio, television and any other media like the print media. This is an important attribute and it’s characterized by the fact that the internet is one large media where information can flow in a highly complex format. Since political economy is founded on the idea of Marxist theory of economy where capitalism is dominant and power is created to influence the production, distribution and consumption of different pieces of information, the internet now has come to break the super-structure that is determined by the economic base. For instance, the internet has helped to influence different cultural and political spaces that existed within the society, ownership and modes of production as well as existence of different class structures and struggles. Further, with the internet, different people are able to establish their own websites through which important information can be processed, presented and accessed by the public without depending on a media that is developed and controlled by someone where any information delivered through can be accessed and altered for personal benefits. This way, the owners of information can operate independently with the audience. While the political economy under the Marxist format was owned by a few individuals and few communication firms, the internet allows different groups to create, distribute, access and even consume information from any given source without the influence of anybody. This in the society has reduced the power classes dominated by the political powers by making the process of accessing information and faster than ever before. Read More

Communication could also play the role of advocating religious tolerance, existence of checks and balances, explaining inner humans and their rights through instilling new knowledge to the people. On the same line, communication was used by the philosophers to challenge some of the ideas that were believed to be incorrect like freedom of speech. Since communication was very significant, it was used by philosophers to write different books to communicate different ideas especially by demonstrating how people were able to govern, learn and correct mistakes on their own and becoming potentially able for change.

However, to facilitate this was communication which was taking place among the philosophers which allowed full exchange of information. 2) How can new forms of media, such as pamphlets or on-line writing, contribute to political or intellectual revolution? Different media in the recent past have played a very central role in influencing the political and the intellectual revolution in the world today. While political revolution can be described as the change in the political systems or rule or even a change in the way people do something in a given political context, intellectual revolution, is the change in the state of minds of people found in a societal setting that influences their ability to tackle different and emerging issues in the society.

Media advancement in the society today especially new forms, have contributed to change in the two aspects of Life. Two such important media forms that have contributed significantly to political and intellectual revolution are pamphlets and on-line writings. This is because the two forms have the potential to in transferring information from one person to another and in the process trying to influence the minds of people and the way they do things. Pamphlets for instance are published documents written by philosophers on different issues affecting society like political systems and the process of democratization which to an extent affects the people’s life both socially and economically.

On the other hand, on-line printing, involves the process of writing different articles that discusses important issues of the society and publishing them on-line with the aid of the recent technology supported by the internet. The most important feature with this media is that it can be accessed virtually with almost every person in the world within a very short time. With these two forms of media, political and intellectual revolutions are now very eminent. For instance, people from different quarters, social background and origin, have the chance to exchange information on what may be considered the best approaches to designing political systems that suit the needs of the people of a given setting economically, socially and politically.

The information found in these forms of media in many occasions is used to benchmark what could be termed as the best way people could like to be governed and how issues affecting are expected to be solved. In the political evolution for instance, pamphlets and on-line writings have seen great revolution in many of the Arab countries in the recent past in what can be termed as bad political leadership by the then country leaders. Some of the countries where political revolution has taken place and castigated by the media include Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen.

This followed the revelation that the respective leadership was not addressing what the citizens wanted. On the other hand, intellectual revolution is being witnessed from the way media has helped create consciousness among people by helping them understand on the need to be positive about certain human conditions that require order, logic and rule of law. This can be applied in areas like abolishing party systems, establishing self rule and maintaining a standing military. 3) What do you think explains the development of propaganda in the twentieth century?

Propaganda can be described as the act of giving certain information with the aim of manipulating the public opinion.

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