tripleC 13(1): 298-320, 2015 http://www.triple-c.at Base, Superstructure, and the Role of Journalism in the Irish Property Crash—Towards a Crisis Theory of Communications Henry Silke Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland,
[email protected] Abstract: Since the onset of the “great recession” there have been key debates around various as- pects of crisis theory, most notably around the areas of the rate of profit (Brenner 2009; Kliman 2012), under-consumption/overproduction (Clarke 1990a, 442–467) and fiancialisation (Duménil and Lévy 2004). This paper maintains that communications and the media are key though non-deterministic elements of the contemporary market system, and proposes a move towards a crisis theory of com- munications. This research reflects the Marxist concept of base and superstructure, beyond a per- ceived notion of economic determinism, but rather as a dialectical relationship between various super- structures, in this case the state and the media, and the economic base including the various aspects of class power inherent within. The mass media, advertising, and ICT play an increasingly important role in both market systems and capitalist crises. This role directly impinges on the dissemination of information to market actors as well as the reflexive and dialectical nature of the processes by which actors respond to market information. Further, the media serve as an ideological apparatus, resource or arena, which acts to naturalise the market through what this research describes as a market orien- tated framing mechanism (Preston and Silke 2011b). Peter Thompson (2003; 2013, 208–227) con- tends that communication is an integral and reflexive part of the contemporary market system.