 Marxism is one of the earliest origins of critical theory.

 Postmodernism, feminism, and post colonialism have greatly influenced how critical theories
have grown and expanded to challenge a greater number of social power structures.
 These approaches examines a different area of oppression, all are critical approaches to enact
great social changes, not only in western societies, but in cultures worldwide.
 In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Karl Marx’s ideas challenged the status quo of newly
emerging industrial societies. As societies moved from agrarian-based economies to ones based
in industrial manufacturing, there became an increasing division between the rich and the poor
— much like the income inequality talked about so much today.
 Using Critical Theories Paradigm, we can begin to examine the messages that so
few companies are constructing and their impacts on how we understand the
world around us as shaped through these messages.
 Critical paradigm include works that examine gender, consumerism, advertising,
and television.
 Critical Theories Paradigm is that it combines theory and practice, seeking to
create actual change from theoretical development.
 EARLY CRITICAL THEORY

 Critical theory is a social theory oriented toward critiquing and changing society as a whole.
 Critical views of the influence of mass media are as old as the media themselves.
 Much criticism related either to consequences that might be unintentionally harmful to society.
 A more fundamental critique has, from the earliest days, focused on the relation between
media and the power structure of society.
 Early twentieth century, the media were largely interpreted by social critics as weapons in the
hands of the ruling class to control and guide the masses by propaganda or to narcotize and
divert them from effective opposition.
 In the post war America, C.William Mills expounded a theory of “Mass Society”.
 The media were assigned a special role as the mechanism of persuading
individuals voluntarily to suspend their true interest and identity and lose their
autonomy.
 POLITICAL ECONOMY THEORY

 The term ‘Political economy’ first used by Antonine Montchiestien

 Later used by Sir James Steuart.
 It focuses on the macro level of communication.
Macro-communication refers to looking at the act of interaction from a broad
perspective.
 political economists of media study certain aspects of the media industries and their
practices, focusing primarily on media companies’ ownership patterns, organizational
structures, and business operations; the way that these practices are shaped by
governments’ laws, regulations, and other policies; and the impacts of these
business/regulatory interrelationships not only on media content and media audiences
but also on societies’ politics and culture more broadly. 
 The media are a form of industry operating different markets in pursuit of profit.
 It accounts for the recruitment of mass audiences and the mechanism used to manage
them (Marketing, publicity)
 These are the reasons why the media develop monopoly tendencies, nationally and
globally.
 It is the logic of capitalistic economic and political forces, as exercised by owners and
controllers, that accounts for the selection and standardization of media and content and
audience behavior.
 Even audience can be considered as products of the media, harvested by the appeal of
popular commodities and sold to advertisers by the thousands according to their
purchasing power.