ABOUT THIS BOOK

One of the major questions confronting us in the wake of the 2016 presidential election, the Brexit vote, and the rise of populism around the world, is what role the media has played in shaping our current political moment. This book offers an unprecedented dive into that question, reaching back more than a decade to show the stance of the media toward the 2008 financial crash, the recession that followed, austerity in the UK, the Eurozone crisis, and more. Throughout, we see—with damning clarity—that even as capitalism is in crisis, the media remains devoted to a narrative of a swollen public sector, welfare scams, and immigration threats. What does this mean for those who are committed to solving our manifest economic and social problems? How can we use what we know about the workings of the media to break through their filter and force progress? The insights in this book are the first step.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Laura Basu is a fellow in the Media and Communications Department at Goldsmiths, University of London, and at the Institute for Cultural Inquiry at Utrecht University.

REVIEWS

'In Media Amnesia, Laura Basu provides a thoughtful and brilliant examination of how mainstream media have so completely failed to cover the economy in general--and economic crises specifically--in a manner that encourages democratic governance or a sound economy... Highly readable, Basu's book should be required reading for faculty and students in media departments, as well as economics and political science!'

— Robert W. McChesney co-author, People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy

'Before the term 'fake news' came into common use, the media actively peddled the flagrant fiction that the Global Crisis of the late 2000s resulted from the misguided policies of governments. To understand this 'rewriting' of the crisis capitalism brought upon us read this book. The author reveals the full iniquity of the media transforming commonsense into pernicious nonsense.'

— John Weeks, Professor Emeritus of Economics, SOAS, University of London

'This is a fascinating account of elite and media attempts to repair the neo-liberal hegemony in the wake of the 2008 crash, and prolonged recession. Based on careful factual analysis and eloquently written, it will be of wide interest to academics and students in media studies, politics, and economics as well as activists.'

— Professor James Curran, Goldsmiths, University of London

“In Media Amnesia, Laura Basu provides a thoughtful and brilliant examination of how mainstream media have so completely failed to cover the economy in general—and economic crises specifically—in a manner that encourages democratic governance or a sound economy. . . Highly readable, Basu's book should be required reading for faculty and students in media departments, as well as economics and political science.”

— Robert W. McChesney, coauthor of People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy

“Before the term ‘fake news’ came into common use, the media actively peddled the flagrant fiction that the Global Crisis of the late 2000s resulted from the misguided policies of governments. To understand this ‘rewriting’ of the crisis capitalism brought upon us, read this book. The author reveals the full iniquity of the media transforming commonsense into pernicious nonsense.”

— John Weeks, SOAS, University of London

“This is a fascinating account of elite and media attempts to repair the neo-liberal hegemony in the wake of the 2008 crash and prolonged recession. Based on careful factual analysis and eloquently written, it will be of wide interest to academics and students in media studies, politics, and economics as well as activists.”

— James Curran, Goldsmiths, University of London

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Crash
2. Deficit
3. Slump
4. Eurocrisis
5. Inequality
6. Curing Media Amnesia

Glossary
References
Index