Written by IAMCR member Des Freedman
Key Concepts for Understanding Communications and Technology
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.
Des Freedman is Professor of Media and Communication Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London.
The above text is from the publisher’s description of the book:
Title: Digital Nationalism and Affective Governance. Propaganda, Public Sentiment, and Soft Authoritarianism in China
Author: Des Freedman
Published: 2026
Pages: 300
Publisher: by Politybooks
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