Who speaks for Asia: Media and information control in the global economy

East and southeast Asia has become a regional production platform for the m anufacture of Western media and information commodities, primarily driven b y transnational institutions but also with the participation of domestic an d regional conglomerates. Still bearing the heavy imprint of the colonial e ra, most of the region's communications systems continue to function as spo kes within an international wheel of production and labor and, in fact, at a now-increased level of industrial and financial integration. Despite some impressive economic statistics and relative social improvement, the world communications economy has left little space for the region's urban and rur al working people.