Rebuilding Finance’s “Action Man” through CNBC’sThe Closing Bell

Abstract

CNBC’s The Closing Bell contributed to the expansion of finance capital in the late twentieth century through its televisual emphasis on incremental market change that functions affectively to call for action. Such emphasis on short-term stock movement was called into question during the 2008 global financial crisis. However, detailed analysis demonstrates that The Closing Bell did not alter course. I argue that its ongoing focus on incremental movement has worked affectively to shore up a masculinized culture of finance during a period that demanded structural reform.