Political economy of communications in India : the good, the bad and the ugly / Pradip Ninan Thomas.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

A history of structures. An introduction to the political economy of communications -- The political economy of communications in colonial India : mass communication and the empire -- The political economy of communications in post-colonial India (1948-1985) -- The political economy of communications in the new India (1986 to present) -- Processes and means. The great Indian copyright conundrum -- The political economy of audio-visual trade -- The informationalisation of life processes : biotechnology, it and life as code -- Christian fundamentalism and the media : the case of Christian broadcasting in India -- Poverty and the media -- Resistance. Resistance : community radio and the right to information movement in India -- Beyond the dominant paradigm of communication rights : operationalising communication rights in India.

This book is a critical study of the political economy of communications in India. It explores the ways in which contexts, policies, and processes at national and international levels shape media structures and studies how a political economy-inspired approach can be used to understand both media dominance and resistance. The author explores aspects of colonial political economy and how it has shaped the structure of media in India and in many other countries. It also discusses liberalization, privatization, and media politics in contemporary India. Divided into three sections{u2014}structures, means, and resistance{u2014}the chapters focus on both the electronic and the print media. The book would interest students and researchers of Indian media history, international communication, media and politics, sociology, and political economy