Critical theorizing on broadcast history

Understanding How the Popular Becomes Popular: The Role of Political Economy in the Study of Popular Communication

“…To test them, I undertook research on the political economy of ratings (Meehan, 1986a(Meehan, , 1986b(Meehan, , 1990(Meehan, , 1993(Meehan, , 2006. Here, I will briefly summarize my main findings, starting with a bare-bones account of the television industry.…”

Challenging Disney Myths

“…Other fundamental assumptions have been critiqued, including the notion of a "free" marketplace, various misconceptions about competition, the relationship between capitalism and democracy, and especially issues relating to the "free flow" of information. Political economists continue to challenge these and other myths, but are able to do a much better job when incorporating insights from critical cultural analysis and reception studies.While other political economists have argued persuasively for the need to integrate approaches (Mosco, 1996;Meehan, 1986), this article will draw on recent studies of the Walt Disney Company that have utilized a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches to challenge some of the myths that surround the company, its products, and its creator, Walt Disney. 3 Of course, the Disney company traditionally has relied on myths and fairy tales for its classic animated features.…”

Challenging Disney Myths

“…www.compos.com.br/e-compos Dezembro de 2006 -3/26 Revista da Associação Nacional dos Programas de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação Political economists continue to challenge these and other myths, but are able to do a much better job when incorporating insights from critical cultural analysis and reception studies.While other political economists have argued persuasively for the need to integrate approaches (Mosco, 1996;Meehan, 1986), this article will draw on recent studies of the Walt Disney Company that have utilized a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches to challenge some of the myths that surround the company, its products, and its creator, Walt Disney. 3 Of course, the Disney company traditionally has relied on myths and fairy tales for its classic animated features.…”