Page 96 - Critical Political Economy of the Media

Media cultures, media economics, media problems 75

extent that it has neglected concerns or offered poor explanations, these are
matters that should continue to engage all those who draw on and develop CPE
as a practice.

Doing political economy research

Part one has introduced media political economy and part two examines thematic
topics. As a bridge this section briefly considers key resources, practical issues and
methods used in political economic research. For the analysis of media industries,
key sources include corporate documents in the public domain such as annual
reports, financial statements, policy submissions, legal documents and commu-
nications with key publics such as investors, financial markets, regulators and
consumers. Media content businesses have consumer-facing websites but large
firms have sections or linked sites for other publics identified under terms such as
‘investor relations’. Larger firms and some SMEs have a corporate public relations
operation, variously identified as media relations or corporate affairs. Other key
sources include trade and industry bodies, market analysts, ratings and media
monitoring organisations. Trade bodies that market particular media platforms
to advertisers are invaluable sources (Hardy 2013b). Other key sources are trade
journals and online resources (aimed at those working in different trade sectors)
that provide news and analysis for media sectors or specialised activities, and
news media reporting across business, law, entertainment and technology.
Governments, supranational bodies (such as UNESCO and the International
Telecommunications Union) and national regulatory agencies are important
sources. Policy submissions to consultations and enquiries provide rich resources,
and topics, for research, but access varies; policy-makers may accept companies’
claims for commercial confidentiality and exclude material from the public
record (Winseck 2012: 7). Problems can be even greater in countries where
public discussion on issues such as ownership and control has been restricted by
authoritarian governments (Mastrini and Becerra 2012: 7). There are also media
and civil society organisations, many of which are non-profit making, providing
a rich source of information. These include organisations that specialise in
human rights and freedom of expression (IFEX, Reporters without Borders),
media reform groups (Free Press, CPBF), trades unions and labour movement
bodies. The sources discussed above are used to examine the structure and
operations of cultural industries, and examine policy networks and communications
governance.
Media work has been a ‘surprisingly neglected topic’ (Hesmondhalgh 2010:
157), including within political economy, but has received renewed attention in
recent years (Murdock 2003; Hesmondhalgh 2010; Mosco and McKercher
2008; Mosco 2011). This includes studies addressing the increasing complexity
and uncertainty of cultural labour, conditions of precarity and uncertainties
concerning status, professionalism and purpose (Deuze 2007, 2011). There has
been a distinguished if thinly populated tradition of participant observation of