Mason, P. (2015) PostCapitalism: A Guide to Our Future

Abstract

Paul Mason is an interesting figure. UK's former Chancellor, George Osborne, recently described him as 'revolutionary Marxist' and compared him with Micky Mouse in a speech to the House of Commons. Trying to read this positively, Mason is undoubtedly a very progressive and energetic figure on the left in the UK. At a time when journalists claim to be independent and value-free and are simultaneously unable to conduct proper and informative interviews with politicians due to their pseudo-critical and aggressive style, it is refreshing to see journalists like Paul Mason in the arena. He is able to conduct critical, investigative and in-depth journalism and has proven his ability for many years at the BBC and until recently as Economics Editor at Channel 4 News. In order 'to escape the constraints of impartiality rules governing broadcasters' and to engage more fully in the debates of the political left, Mason decided to leave Channel 4 News and now works as a freelance journalist . Mason is quite active and well-known on the political left. He recently produced an independent documentary about the crisis in Greece (#ThisIsACoup), hosts talks with people like Yanis Varoufakis in front of a massive audience, contributes to Labour's new economics series and is followed by more than 400,000 people on Twitter. In short, Paul Mason is an important figure on the political left in the UK who understands how to play the game within corporate media. It is precisely in this context that we should see his new book.