JRN 375 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Concentration Of Media Ownership, Japan Radio Network, Corporate Censorship
Document Summary
What is audience erosion? a decrease in the percentage of the population using a particular mass medium or a specific media outlet. What is synergy? when the whole can function more greatly than the sum of the parts. Why is synergy appealing to media business? companies can get away with having a lot of clout across so many different medias because no one claims that any one company that has cross media capabilities controls a large portion. Efficient product development (economies of scale), and cross-promotional control. Why do some argue that media consolidation is bad for capitalism: dampens competition, weakens the diversity of products that we see, bars new talent and ideas from entering the market, tendency towards price fixing. It increases "corporate censorship" through political influences and there is content sameness through homogenization. To remain competitive, to decrease audience erosion, and the fact that consolidation is the "only way to do business".