A „Critical Juncture“?

Die Theorie der kritischen politischen Ökonomie in der historischen Kommunikationsforschung

Abstract

Historical communication research can benefit from integrating the theoretical perspective of critical political economy of media and communication. To underscore this point, this article first introduces critical political economy as a theoretical template for historical communication research. It then highlights theoretical questions of historical research that are also prominent in historical communication research, such as: Who gets to write history, for what reasons, and based on what assumptions? These questions are also central to researchers working in the broader realm of critical political economy. Both fields are about interpreting who we are and why we are where we are. This question deserves some reflection. What follows is an overview of issues and methods used in historical communication research that can be sharpened by critical political economy. Using three guiding principles, underpinned by concrete examples, this article offers a first intellectual toolkit for applying critical political economy to historical communication research.