Doctrines and Discussions

Question 1

What are the resemblances between different schools of communication studies and economics?

Answer 1

Mainstream (neoclassical) + Mainstream (administrative) Communication:
- They are separate domains, minimal overlap
- Reductionist, methodological
- Start with broad, vague notions

Non-mainstream - Critical schools:
Comm:
cultural studies is more about the meanings and texts
PoliEconComm: is more about the poli and econ factors
Econ:
heterodox studies, focusing on the effect power has on economy, in contrast with NC who see it as a given

Convergence (Babe): Political and economy should be converged.

Question 2

What is the issue of critical work in new media?

Answer 2

In the past century, theorists were excited about new media and its potentials in changing society and industries. After the 90s, many predictions did not stand still as the effects of new media turned out to be more complex.

Many also argue that new media does not imply new economy, but a new wave of tech that can bring new opportunities

Question 3

What are the main doctrines in Economics?

Answer 3

CNC: Hazlet, Coase
gov intervention to be minimal
efficiency over fairness
market not prone to failure
supply side

LNC: Economides
gov intervention possible, but possibly harmful
more interested in fairness
market failure more common
demand side

NK: Krugman
Aggregate demand: main driver of economy (amound of good/services consumers are willing and able to purchase in period of time)
Gov intervention not harmful
Anticyclical economy: gov should spend when business invst low to keep employment

IE:
Innovation main driver
not new thing but visavis market
Induce change in society
exogenous to traditional economy
very important in new economy

Question 4

What are the 5 possibilities for Schumpeterian innovation, and how is creative destruction the engine of capitalism?

Answer 4

5 possibilities:
- introduction of new product
- exploitation of new market
- exploitation of a new resource
- introduction of a new organisational method
- introduction of new production method

CD as an engine of capitalism, as new innovations replace other ones, driven by risk. Capitalist growth should focus on impact on innovation not price.

Question 5

How did the different doctrines view the broadband network concentration?

Answer 5

CNCs:
Market is competitive enough
Why intervene in BB not in Mobile network
Threat of entry is enough, no need for intervention, they figure it out

LNCs:
Regulation to emulate competition: force broadband, who might be monopolies in EU countries, to rend their network to other smaller companies to emulate competition

NK:
Gov intervention to prevent negative fx of oligopolies: Provide more free wifi in public areas, etc.

IE:
gov should not seek low prices, but fast internet and best tech. More incentive to invest

Question 6

What are the main ideas of Innovation Economics?

Answer 6

Innovation focus on the dynamic processing of economics rather than its current state
Innovation economics focuses on innovation as the engine of economy
Policy should be focused on long-term growth
disequilibrium as part of the process
Risk and uncertainty as essential for investment

Question 7

How did the different doctrines view the copyright issue?

Answer 7

CNCs:
copyright should be enforced, 3 strikes law, private property

LNCs:
marginal cost is zero, more benefits. copyright enforces monopolies.

NK:
copying is a form of redistribution from big corp to small. Small artists are better off without copyright of big corp

IE:
too much and too little copyright hurt the economy. innovation should be preserved, but also not reaching the point of privacy

Question 8

How do the different doctrines view net neutrality?

Answer 8

CNCs:
Different pricing increases economic welfare
Broadband already competitive or contestable
Content industry should be subsidised by Infrastructure through policy

LNCs:
Different prices risk market failure in infrastructure and in content
Underproduction, less welfare,
need competition analysis

NKs:
Power of large broadband corp threatens access to content
2-sided pricing means money goes to ISPs
Ex Ante NN Regulation

IE:
Price Discrimination can be beneficial
Can also be abused for anticompetitive
wait and see, case by case.