John Fiske and the Building of Cultural Studies
International Journal of Cultural Studies, 25 (1):
3-13 (2022)DOI: 10.1177/13678779211052607
Abstract
This article reflects on the career of cultural and media studies figure, John Fiske, from both a personal and a scholarly perspective. Fiske was an influential force within the development of cultural studies and television studies over the 1980s and 1990s, and a much-loved and respected teacher and mentor. He was also a controversial figure at times. Fiske was accused of cultural populism, of revisionism, and an unwarranted optimism about the political agency of media consumers. While this article does not take on such accusations in any detail, it sets out to demonstrate the importance of a proper accounting for his career that also recognizes some of its less widely known aspects – such as his critical investment in building cultural studies during his eight years working in Australia. The article also highlights the potential difficulties ahead for cultural studies’ writing of its own histories of contestation and debate.