The Big Picture

by McChesney, Robert W.; Foster, John Bellamy

• ISBN13: 9781583671009
• ISBN10: 1583671005
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-12-01
• Publisher: New York Univ Pr

Summary

McChesney'sRich Media, Poor Democracywas hailed as a pioneering analysis of the way in which media had come to serve the interests of corporate profit rather than public enlightenment and debate. Bill Moyers commented, "If Thomas Paine were around, he would have written this book."McChesney and Foster's new book,The Big Picture, is the sequel to that work. WhereRich Media, Poor Democracyshowed the hollowness of the media's claims to serve the public interest,The Big Pictureshows the real role of the media in contemporary America. At the same time, it provides a systematic account of how media studies itself can be renewed by locating media developments within the larger context of the political economy of capitalism.The Big Pictureexamines the nature of contemporary journalism, the role of the media system in the process of globalization, and the workings of new communication technologies, including the Internet. The book critiques the ways in which government policy on communication and media is formed in the United States, and describes the new media reform movement that is increasingly making media policy a contested issue.Certain to be a landmark in media studies,The Big Pictureis a vital resource for media activism, and essential reading for concerned scholars and citizens everywhere.