Political Economy of Media - Essay Example

Political Economy of Media Question Organizational Consideration Independent Media Center (Indymedia) is collection of global participatory network of the journalists, who reports over political as well as social issues. Additionally, Indymedia has been established during the year 1999 by various independent along with alternative media organizations. Besides, the organization structure of Indymedia is very much decentralized as well as non-hierarchical. Additionally, the working environment of media center is towards taking consensus decision-making approach, which is open, participative as well as transparent and regarded to be horizontally coordinated (Wehr, 2011). On the other hand, global Indymedia process has been correspondingly managed with series of transnational editorial as well as logistical working group that communicate among each other by conducting periodic meeting, which is web based (Long & Wall, 2014). Notably, the news gathering approach of Indymedia is independent and participatory through making use of accessible technologies to develop the event contents. The another key aspect of Indymedia is that is has always been open for the new participation, which comes online in relation to different events (Pickerill, 2003). Philosophical Outlook Indymedia is an innovation of actualization radical democracy that works towards ensuring global justice of people. Additionally, the media center focuses over the slogan that all the people should have equal access of media to fight for their rights. Besides, Indymedia media activists is an integral movement for making significant social changes in highly conscious and deliberate manner through “blurring the line between activism and news” (Messman, n.d.). One of the main philosophical features of Indymedia is that it works over the anti-capitalist movements by ascertaining no orthodox philosophy of politics. On the contrary, Indymedia practices of radical democratic goes beyond the mission statement and websites contents to cover the institutional practices, utilization of internet tools as well global network. Besides, it entitles to actively renegotiate the power relationship (Coyer et al., 2011). Technological Considerations Indymedia utilizes web as the primary mean of distribution of the various media contents, which relatively work on small technical method. Additionally, in various locations, Indymedia centers are been executed by various collectives who manage and run the websites. On the other hand, these websites provided opportunity to users to develop access and make public news reports in the form of text, photos as well as audiovisual form. However, with the use of web-based platform, individual centers are independent, each are connected with global infrastructure, and people are provided with the opportunity of open publishing even during the time of demonstration or political action. Correspondingly, these media centers utilize the approach of open source software to develop online presence of newsgathering. In addition, Indymedia utilizes different boundaries of traditional media that includes radio, video activists, print journalists and photographer that are collaborated for newsgathering (Halleck, 2012; Bruns, 2005). Slow Media It has been affirmed that 21st century has made profound changes in technological foundations in media landscape especially because of internet and social media. Thus, the aspect of slow media is represented as wider re-appraisal of modern cultural aspects. This has significantly provided opportunity to grab easier, fast and low priced contents development. Besides, the concept of slow media concentrates not over the fast consumption, but rather concerned on assembling the contents in an interactive manner to develop it in an advanced as well as concentrated way (Rauch, 2011). Correspondingly, slow media perceives that media are not just things, but rather it help to work, communicate and interact in far most efficient manner. Thus, slow media is highly concerned over the making of the continuous improvement through more reliable contents related to events. Besides, the key philosophical outlook of slow media emphasis over developing high quality contents through including premium interface and inspiring design. However, in comparison to the mainstream media, slow media is regarded to have long life and appears to be fresh in the hand of the readers or viewer even after years, as it does not losses its quality. On the other hand, slow media is highly based on technology advancement and the way of networking of the people. On the contrary, it has been affirmed that slow media cannot be able to exclude the presence of speedy media involvement. One of the key approaches of slow media is that it focuses over developing the confidence and creditable contents prior to publication of any contents for the viewer or readers. Nevertheless, slow media is having advance prosumers, which reflected that the inhabitants or audiences of content publish through such sources are predetermined. Additionally, the working approach of slow media is understandable as both a philosophy and a practice, as it represents the revolution of traditional form of media like print and analog to provide more information and fast communication. On the other hand, slow media supports the practice of slowness in media production as well as consumption by shifting over slow media activities by the mean of temporary or permanently reducing the spending over digital media or devices (Rauch, 2011). Question 2 Database is a collection of wider information in an organized manner in order to ensure that at the right point of time, it could be accessed, retrieved and updated. Additionally, managing the pool of information is an integral aspect and thus, the approach of database allows the users to manage and utilize information in an efficient and effective manner. On the other hand, search engine is program, which enables users to search identified items from the group of large database with respect to the keyword specified by users. The most common example of the search engines programs that is widely used by the users are Google and Yahoo. On the other hand, the approach of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a technique that commonly used by web designers to ensure visibility of a particular page in the hand of the users. Besides, SEO involves designing, writing and coding of page based on volume and quality for the people using the search engines. In a similar respect, Google operates with the mission to organize as much as information and ensure that such information has universal accessibility and usefulness (Dean, 2014). In this regard, the core activities of Google can be evaluated with the use of the three processes that include commodification, spatialization and structuration developed by Vincent Mosco (O’Brien, 1998). Commodification Vincent Mosco reflected the concept of commodification as “the process of transforming use values into exchange values, of transforming products whose value is determined by their ability to meet individual and social needs into products whose value is set by what they can bring in the marketplace” (Selheim, 2011; pp. 15). Besides, the process enables in the transformation of social relation into economic relation. On the other hand, commodification of contents of the media is regarded to the approach of transformation of information in the marketplace. Similarly, one of the core activities of Google is that it processes the information in such a manner that information will have universal access. Thus, the approach of commodification is identified as the processes based on which information are forwarded and made available to the public (O’Brien, 1998). Spatialization Spatialization is “the process of overcoming the constraints of space and time in social life” (Selheim, 2011; pp. 17). With respect to the aspect of communication, spatialization is highly used to understand the concentration i.e. “the institutional extension of corporate power in the communications industry” (Selheim, 2011; pp. 17). On the other hand, With regard to the approach of political communication, spatialization is regarded as constraints over the movement of information, products and services along with the impact of communication over the process of differentiating the corporate activities. Apparently, the core activity of Google is regarded that the information that are published in various pages will allow to reflect the truth of audiences, which can make the differences regarding how they perceive things earlier and later (O’Brien, 1998). Structuration The concept of structuration is recognized as “process by which structures are constituted out of human agency, even as they provide the very ‘medium’ of that constitution” (Selheim, 2011; pp. 18). In this respect, the study of social institution with the dynamics of social process has an influence with the information provided online. Furthermore, media has been identified to have profound impact over the inhabitant’s lives and the aspect of class, race, social movements and gender evolved because of media involvement. Correspondingly, the social class in general prospect is determined as the rigid demarcation based on the rights and privileges occupied from the traditional times. Besides, in the current scenario, social class is regarded to be a vague approach of self-identification based on wealth and income. The ‘upper’ class of the society is determined based on the individuals as well as the collective wealth that have majority amount of ownership and control over the society, which also includes media. In relation to the aspect of gender and race, Mosco affirmed that majority part of current society is linked on the basis of one identity. Besides, gender and race are two different attributes of self-identification. Apparently, he affirmed that in the current scenario, there are various evidences relating to the fact that the social institutes bestow different roles and opportunities to the inhabitants on the basis of these two different attributes, which indeed includes communication industries. On the other hand, he affirmed that the aspect of social movement focuses over making alteration in status quo with respect to power relationship in the context of the society. In accordance with the structuration concept, the information published is international in scope, which makes communication very much integral. Similarly, Goggle core activity of distribution of information on a global context is regarded to be digitization reinforces based on which information is been shared and presented over the economic activity in the global society context. For instance, technology enables the production process to be relayed over the physical analogue, as it has been transmitted and shared in the form of digital bits (O’Brien, 1998). Question 3 Four Characteristics of Political Economy Commitment to the idea of historical change and social transformation. Political economy emphasizes studying and integrating political and economic environment of a society. Besides, the approach of political environment is concerned over the aspect that how the political factors and forces will contribute to have an impact over the economic outcome and generating the resources to sustain the political environment. One of the major characteristics of political economy is to make historical and social transformation that obstructs in a way of making significant reforms in an economy. In a similar respect, in most of the developing nations, poverty is one of the major challenges that accelerate other societal issues. The nature of current global economic transformations focuses over making epochal transformation in an economy. On the other hand, through focusing over the epochal transformation, it has been reflected that an economy will be able to make significant transformation in utilization of resources and meet the demand, supply and prices. However, economic growth can only be ensured through making sustainable and efficient utilization of resources of an economy to meet the changing demand and needs of the society. Besides, ensuring and removing the prospect of historical and social factors obstructing the societal aspect will allow high level of economic growth (Ibrahim, 2012; SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd., 2009). Commitment to the idea of a social totality. In the context of every nation, political and economic system is regarded to form direct relationship or rather it could be actual relationship among the different political and economic institutions or policies and outcomes perceived to form from such institutes. Besides, it also been perceived that relationship among politics and economics is regarded to have ‘state and market’ as well as ‘freedom and equality’. On the other hand, culture consists of the idea of language, religious, moral, legal system, religious, rituals and work of art that have been significantly recognized to be the manifestation of the human behavior. In this regard, it can be evidently ascertained that in the modern scenario, people are trending to form different identities that reflects their culture. Besides, states perceive to play an integral role in shaping the culture, politics as well as economics, as dominant group’s practices come to dominate the national landscape of any subjected population. Apparently, as affirmed earlier that political economy perceive to study the relation among the politics and economics and thus, it can be affirmed that connection between cultural activities and political economy is related to balance the freedom and equality in an economy. It seems that political economy will have deep root of cultural activities, as it must be based on the values and believes of a culture (SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd., 2009). Commitment to moral philosophy. Correspondingly, another key characteristic of political economy is that it has a moral philosophy, as it reflects the social values as well as conception of social practices. Besides, the approach of political economy emphasizes creating moral positions between economic and political aspects. In accordance with the approach of Adam Smith, wealth of a nation can only be enhanced by making significant reforms for the society rather than selfish or self-interest behavior. In addition, the appropriate way to organize the political-economic system is by focusing over liberalism, so that individual freedom and equality is highly been ensured in an economy. Moreover, it will ensure free market as well as strong protection of private properties. The approach of public good is regarded as goods that do not reduce in availability with consumption. Furthermore, public goods are ‘non-rivalrous’ and ‘non-excludable’ in nature. The approach of public goods guides political and economic decision making approach because in order to effectively ensure the economic growth, an economy must be able to meet the needs and demand of such goods and services (Norton and Company, Inc., 2011; SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd., 2009). Commitment to praxis. Correspondingly, political economy approach is regarded to be praxis, as it have deep root over the traditional philosophies and involved in various path of communication studies, like Marxian theory, Frankfurt School thought, and other theories that are embodied in sociology. Moreover, the theoretical approach that has been suggested plays an integral role, as it allowed in making changes in people produce and change the perception of the thinking. Besides, political economy focuses over critiques, which can be utilized to form alternative model over the social life and allow freeing from restricted democratic and forms an open communication environment. In a similar regard, blogging and social networking platform can be utilized to criticize over the aspect that deteriorated the societal rights and obligations (SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd., 2009). References Bruns, A. (2005). Gatewatching: Collaborative online news production. USA: Peter Lang. Coyer, K. Dowmunt, T., & Fountain, A. (2011). The alternative media handbook. USA: Routledge. Dean, B. (2014). 21 SEO techniques you can use today to get more search engine traffic. Retrieved from http://backlinko.com/seo-techniques Halleck, D. (2012). Indymedia: Building an international activist internet network. Retrieved from http://newmedia.yeditepe.edu.tr/pdfs/isimd_04/12.pdf Ibrahim, M. J. (2012). Technological change and economic transformation. Economic Research and Policy Department, 3-24. Long, P., & Wall, T. (2014). Media studies: Texts, production, context. USA: Routledge. Messman, T. (n.d.). Justice journalism: Journalist as agent of social change. Retrieved from http://www.media-alliance.org/article.php?id=437 Norton and Company, Inc. (2011). Political economy. Retrieved from http://www.wwnorton.com/college/polisci/compol4/ch/04/chapterReview.aspx O’Brien, R. (1998). The political economy of communications and the commercialization of the internet. Retrieved from http://web.net/~robrien/papers/political%20economy%20of%20communications%20paper.html Pickerill, J. (2003). Out in the open: Indymedia networks in Australia. Leicester University, 1-23. Rauch, J. (2011). The Origin of Slow Media: Early Diffusion of a Cultural Innovation through Popular and Press Discourse, 2002-2010. Transformations Journal, 20. Selheim, M. E. (2011). Toward a political economy of activist documentary. Montana State University, 1-32. SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd. (2009). What is political economy? Definitions and characteristics. Retrieved from http://www.sagepub.in/upm-data/26776_02_Mosco_Ch_02.pdf Wehr, K. (2011). Green culture: An A-to-Z guide. UK: SAGE. Read More