CULTURAL STUDIES APPROACHES TO MEDIA INDUSTRIES AND MEDIA PRODUCTION In spite of its potential contributions to understanding culture, the application of cultural studies approaches to cultural industries or even to cultural pro- duction was relatively sparse until the 2000s. Recently, however, a number of new approaches have emerged, with a variety of different relationships to cultural studies, and a mix of potential contributions and drawbacks. 14 Graeme Turner may himself be described as a cultural studies researcher, and his excel- lent critique of ‘the demotic turn’ in research on media and popular culture (Turner, 2010) suggests that some of the best critiques of uncritical cultural populism may come from those who have engaged most fully with cultural studies debates, from within. 02-Hesmondhalgh-4453-Ch-01.indd 54 25/10/2012 5:50:44 PM
