The Political Economy of Communication and Media - Coursework Example

Due The Political Economy of Communication & Media Political economy of communication focuses significantly on thestructural issues in mass media dealing with ownership, professional ethics and labor practices among others. Independent media centers commonly referred to Indymedia are simultaneously interactive news websites within a rapidly expanding global network and activist institutions that are strongly connected I the social movements for worldwide justice and media democracy. It helps provides a vision for democratic media. This paper will try explaining the effects of alternative media on political economy communication, the three processes of comodification, spatialization and structuration and finally the traditions of PEC/M. 1. Effects of alternative media on PEC/M using Indymedia Indymedia uses the slogan ‘be the media’ which means that the media production and stories is something that should be accessible to all people. The major democratic practice of Indymedia includes an active renegotiation of all powerful relationships by democratizing the media which is embodied by interactive web based interface, leveling power hierarchies and countering proprietary logic. There are different alternative used to exemplify the ideals of PEC/M; this include; Democratic Theory The democratic theory in the United States and Europe has undergone a great change I the last few decades. Unlike the previous traditional Marxism model, the new models envision power and resistance in ways that refuse to dispense the contestation of certain power hierarchies for example class over others that include race, age and sexuality. A strong democracy is one that involves citizens in all levels of political decision making. It aims in empowering marginalized voices and campaigns for a greater voice in policymaking or as they say a ‘seat on the table’. It advocates for equal and appropriate distribution of space, technology and other resources in order to democratize society and this helps leveling the hierarchies which means equalization of power, correct structural inequities in all organizations. It helps promote diversity, openness, transparency, cooperation and collective decision making. The principles of unity are a clear expression of network wide goals, ideals and policies. It is based on principles of equality decentralization and local autonomy and the second principle is on openness. They consider information exchange to be open and accessible and available for a foundation in building of a free and just society. The fourth and fifth principle states that all people must be allowed individuals, groups and institutions to express their view through open publishing on their websites and that all Independent Media Centers must remain not-for-profit making it available and accessible with no charges and the final principle encourages consensus decision making. Open Source and Publishing Independent Media Centers are committed to use free source code whenever possible for them to develop the digital infrastructure and increase independence of the network by not relying on proprietary software. This helps in the easily distribution of information through shared calendars, group listings and multimedia news discussions with less restrictions. Open publishing on the other hand promotes de-privatizing technology, leveling bureaucratic hierarchies and decentralizing participation in news production. This allows information to be rectified and supplemented faster and more efficiently. It allows independent journalists and publications to publish the news they have immediately on a global website. For example the wikis and twikis that have brought democratic logic to higher grounds. They are web based open documents that allow multiple people to write into and change the content of a web page. This justifies the slogan ‘be the media’ 2. The three processes of commodification, spatialization and structuration. Commodification is the process of transforming goods and services into valued commodities. For example, stories for communication that are produced into drama for broadcasting. This process hold a dual importance for communication research, communication practices and technologies contribute to the general process of commodification in the society. Commodification is also an entry point to understand specific communication practices and institutions. The political economy of communication emphasis on checking the importance of institutions that is mainly responsible for the production, distribution and exchange of communication commodities and for the regulation of the market place for communication. They are aimed in foregrounding corporate and government institutions. It concentrates on media contents which eventually help to show the different ways corporations and governments shape the full range of media content from news to pornography. Internet growth has enabled the advancement of commodification opportunities to measure and monitor as well as to package and repackage communication content like filtering and selecting in Google. It also applies to the audiences as well as to content. Commodification helps protect the users from high prices especially in advertisements and posting their views and also helps in protection from counterfeits and errors. Spatialization This is the process of overcoming constraints of space in social life. Commodification begins with how communication content, audiences and labor are turned into marketable commodities. People, products and messages have to be situated somewhere. Spatialization is based on the ideas structural changes brought about by shifting uses of space and time. This helps in expanding the availability of space and time as resources for those in need of them. Communication is a key in this process since communication and technology processes promote flexibility and control throughout industries but mostly within the media, communication and information departments. It covers the process of globalization which influences commercialization. Privatization, liberalization and finally internalization. That is; establishes state functions, turns them to private businesses, opens markets to widespread competition when approved and finally links the state to other states thus bringing several states to one geographical area. Spatialization gives rise to debates on resistance, formation of public space and globalization to nationalism, terrorism and religious fundamentalists. Structuration This is the third entry point for a renewed political economy of communication. It leads to a contemporary rendering view that people make history but not under the conditions of their own making. This in short means that social action takes place within the limitations and opportunities provided by the structures within which the actions happen. It call for the expansion of the conception of social class from its structural sense that defines class in terms of what we have and what we do not have. The political economy of communication views social class in these terms and has produced research that shows persistent inequalities in communication systems especially in the accessibility of communication. It demonstrates how social movements that intersect with class, gender and race have significantly opposed mainstreamed media and the version of ‘common sense’ with alternative media that can forge a genuine counter-hegemony. But out of all these the media became organized in mainstream, oppositional and alternative forms. Traditions in political economy and their contributions Political economy means the dynamic forces within capitalism and the relationship between capitalism and other forms of political economic organization, in order to understand the processes of social change that would be contended leading from capitalism to socialism. Orthodox economics began to combine against political economy in the nineteenth century and set aside their concern for dynamics of history and social change for the transformation of political economy into the science of economics which would provide general explanations like the science of physics. The study of mass media and communication plays an important role because industries included these fields of study in the creation of the current economy. Political economy also included examining the social whole that makes up the economic, political, social and cultural areas of life. These included questions about how wealth and power are related and how they influence the systems of mass media, entertainment and information. It also committed to moral philosophy which is the values that help to create social behavior and moral principles that that guide efforts to change them. It stands firm on the beliefs that favor moral standpoints that promote the extension of democracy to all aspects of social life. It participations and guarantees rights to participate in government, economic, social and public participations in cultural production and the right to communicate freely The fundamental unity of thinking and doing is also part of the political economy. It allows for school of thoughts and opinions thus allowing for individual freedom. The expansion of social freedom has led to political and economy growth in the mass media and communication sectors. Conclusion Independent Media Center has advocated for democracy and freedom but it faces challenges like protests and losses of jobs due to their advocacy and the network need to develop long term relations with ongoing social justice movements and communicators. The internet media is a major player in the media space with international reach. It is a new media of mass communication that has led to democratization and giving time and space for all. It allows people to speak their mind and share their information but they should check and be moral in what they write and say. Be responsible in their moral obligations. Works Cited Kidd, Dorothy. The Independent Media Center : A New Model. Print. Pickard, Victor W. Assessing The Radical Democracy Of Indymedia: Discursive, Technical, And Institutional Constructions’. Critical Studies in Media Communication . Web. Sarin, Lindsay C. The Googlization Of Everything ( And Why We Should Worry).Siva Vaidhyanathan. Berkeley : University Of California Press,2011. Web. Van couvering, Elizabeth. New Media? The Political Economy Of Internet Search Engines. Print. Read More