Chomsky and Media

As I search for critics who analyze the relation of publication and distribution economics to written form, by far the most useful author I have found so far does not see himself as writing about literature per se at all.

In a series of books, Noam Chomsky analyzes socioeconomic strictures on publication and the flow of information. In both linguistic and political work, Chomsky sees literary formalisms as largely outside his authorial province, but he does give straightforward and well documented descriptions of patterns of ownership and commodification of media production and distribution, and the effect these have on what information may be expressed and communicated, where, and to an extent how.

Insofar as these filter in large part for profit, and profit

Particularly useful Chomsky on Media:

• Manufacturing Consent, co-authored with David Barsamian


• Media Control


• Necessary Illusions


• Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda


• You Are Being Lied To


• On Miseducation


• Secrets, Lies, Democracy

These do include quite a bit of thematic repetition, since part of Chomsky's intents are polemical.

There is also a DVD on Zeitgeist called Necessary Illusions, and he makes considerable reference to these themes in lectures, interviews, and articles, all easily found on www.chomsky.info. It wanders between biographical anecdotes about Chomsky, quick clips of interviews,