Yves Citton, "Mediarchy" (Polity Press, 2019)

We think that we live in democracies: in fact, we live in mediarchies...

Episode 55 of the New Books in Critical Theory podcast, hosted by Marshall Poe, titled "Yves Citton, "Mediarchy" (Polity Press, 2019)" was published on September 28, 2020 and runs 66 minutes.

September 28, 2020 ·66m · New Books in Critical Theory

0:00 / 0:00

Summary

We think that we live in democracies: in fact, we live in mediarchies. Our political regimes are based less on nations or citizens than on audiences shaped by the media. We assume that our social and political destinies are shaped by the will of the people without realizing that ‘the people’ are always produced, both as individuals and as aggregates, by the media: we are all embedded in mediated publics, ‘intra-structured’ by the apparatuses of communication that govern our interactions. In his new book Mediarchy (Polity Press, 2019), Yves Citton maps out the new regime of experience, media and power that he designates by the term “mediarchy.” To understand mediarchy, we need to look both at the effects that the media have on us and also at the new forms of being and experience that they induce in us. We can never entirely escape from the effects of the mediarchies that operate through us but by becoming more aware of their conditioning, we can develop the new forms of political analysis and practice which are essential if we are to rise to the unprecedented challenges of our time. This comprehensive and far-reaching book will be essential reading for students and scholars in media and communications, politics and sociology, and it will be of great interest to anyone concerned about the multiple and complex ways that the media – from newspapers and TV to social media and the internet – shape our social, political and personal lives today. Marci Mazzarotto is an Assistant Professor of Digital Communication at Georgian Court University in New Jersey. Her research interests center on the interdisciplinary intersection of academic theory and artistic practice with a focus on film and television studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Episode Description

We think that we live in democracies: in fact, we live in mediarchies. Our political regimes are based less on nations or citizens than on audiences shaped by the media. We assume that our social and political destinies are shaped by the will of the people without realizing that ‘the people’ are always produced, both as individuals and as aggregates, by the media: we are all embedded in mediated publics, ‘intra-structured’ by the apparatuses of communication that govern our interactions. In his new book Mediarchy (Polity Press, 2019), Yves Citton maps out the new regime of experience, media and power that he designates by the term “mediarchy.” To understand mediarchy, we need to look both at the effects that the media have on us and also at the new forms of being and experience that they induce in us. We can never entirely escape from the effects of the mediarchies that operate through us but by becoming more aware of their conditioning, we can develop the new forms of political analysis and practice which are essential if we are to rise to the unprecedented challenges of our time. This comprehensive and far-reaching book will be essential reading for students and scholars in media and communications, politics and sociology, and it will be of great interest to anyone concerned about the multiple and complex ways that the media – from newspapers and TV to social media and the internet – shape our social, political and personal lives today. Marci Mazzarotto is an Assistant Professor of Digital Communication at Georgian Court University in New Jersey. Her research interests center on the interdisciplinary intersection of academic theory and artistic practice with a focus on film and television studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

Apr 22, 2026 ·2m

Apr 22, 2026 ·3m

Apr 22, 2026 ·2m

Apr 22, 2026 ·3m

Apr 22, 2026 ·2m

Apr 22, 2026 ·3m

Similar Podcasts

Invest Like a Boss Sam Marks Johnny FD Derek Spartz Interviews with the world's best investors and find out what they are currently investing in whether it be the stocks, retirement accounts, Wealthfront, Betterment, Vanguard, mutual funds, real estate, Forex, REITs, or other types of Investing methods. Millionaire and Entrepreneur Sam Marks, Johnny FD & Derek Spartz invest alongside listeners as they share their personal portfolios as they save their hard earned money for travel, life and retirement. Invest Like a Boss covers all aspects of investing in the modern age in a fun, entertaining way. The show hosts interview the worlds best investors, financial Insiders, entrepreneurs and CEOs to find out what they are investing in and strategies to gain outsized returns. In this modern age of investing, new investment instruments are popping up each day, from P-2-P lending, to robo-advisors, equity crowd-funding to REITS. Investors today need to combine centuries of investment wisdom with an modern outlook and approach. Entrepreneurs Sa Waiting For Review Dave Wood The show is a fortnightly catch up between David Gary Wood, and Daniel Jilg!David is the longtime host of the show, an iOS development coach based in Wellington, New Zealand. His side project applications include GoVJ (https://govjapp.com), and he is currently working on several small projects.Daniel is an establish independent developer based in the south of Germany. He is the founder of: Telemetry Deck (https://telemetrydeck.com), "Lightweight Analytics That's Not Evil", an analytics service for apps that provides speedy and accurate analytics whilst keeping user's data private and anonymised. The Midnight Air All Things Comedy The Midnight Air is your weekly “overnight radio” podcast from Daniel Van Kirk. Topics range from friendly conversation, pop culture news, film and tv discussions, stories of lore and mysteries, plus the articles from the pages of a small newspaper in rural Wisconsin. This is the easy-listening podcast for people trying to fall asleep or for people that are trying to stay awake. This feed is also the home of the back catalogue for The Pen Pals Podcast. With new episodes of Pen Pals dropping occasionally. Getting Through This with Tom and Scott Tom Saunders The podcast that's 40 years in the making, because they're both procrastinators. Comedy writer Tom Saunders and political comedian Scott Blakeman help you navigate The New Normal, which is The Old Normal for them, since their comedy careers already require that they spend huge amounts of time at home. Their show peers back into the past, stares unflinchingly at the present, and imagines a more hopeful future, with flights of fancy and many tangents as well.

URL copied to clipboard!