Can anyone recommend me some theory-oriented, Marxist writing describing how news media works? Especially regarding things like its relationship to the state or how private ownership influences it. I have already read Parenti. Thanks.
Assuming that by Parenti you mean Inventing Reality, check out Roderic Day’s Masses, Elites, and Rebels: The Theory of “Brainwashing” which is in direct conversation with Inventing Reality and seeks to establish a different theory, radicalizing the most common view of how propaganda works with a materialist analysis. Sadly most of the analysis here is based on entertainment media, not news, but he does specifically talk about the news on a few points.
I found the whole series of “brainwashing” articles illuminating.
Here are some books by media analyst, Robert McChesney. I haven’t read all these. He actually died recently and when i found out, I just went and downloaded every book by him i could find R.I.P.
Capitalism in the Information Age: The Political Economy of the Global Communication Revolution
Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Election Complex is Destroying America
The Death and Life of American Journalism
Here is a previously unpublished chapter of Monopoly Capital on the media: https://monthlyreview.org/articles/the-quality-of-monopoly-capitalist-society-culture-and-communications/