Capitalism and the Media

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.