Reading: Toward a Communication Theory of Power
Wednesday 11th August, 2010 - 7:37pm with 0 comments
Subject: Regulating Communication
Reading: Castells, M. (2009). Toward a Communication Theory of Power. In: Communication Power. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
If we don’t know the forms of power in the network society, we cannot neutralise the unjust exercise of power
- constructing meaning operates in a cultural context that is both global and local
- processes of symbolic construction is dependent on messages and frames that are formatted and diffused in multimedia communication networks
- mental processing of the human mind is conditioned by the communication environment
- if power relationships are constructed in the human mind, and meaning is dependent on flows of information/images processed in the communication network, then power resides in the communication networks and their owners
- the medium is not the message but conditions the format/distribution of it
- the sender of the message is at construction of meaning
- multimedia communication networks exercise power because of the message needing to adapt to protocols
- yet the networks depend on decisions and instructions of programmers – named gatekeepers
- mainstream media still processes many messages
- programmers constitute a network themselves as they interact with each other
Three lines of argument:
- power is multidimensional, constructed around networks programmed according to interests and values
- networks of power are networked among themselves and do not merge, but complete
- network of power around state and political system plays a role in the overall networking of power
Posted on: Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Categories: University
Tags: power · readings · regulating communication · theory
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