Revisiting the political economy of communication

Abstract: This paper came out of a research seminar at the University of Westminster. It revisits and discusses some of Nicholas Garnham’s ideas, writings and contributions to the study of the Political Economy of Communication and reflects on the concepts, history, current status and perspectives of this field and the broader study of political economy today. The topics covered include Raymond Williams ’ cultural materialism, Pierre Bourdieu’s sociology of culture, the debate between Political Economy and Cultural Studies, information society theory, Karl Marx’s theory, and the critique of capitalism