The Media Landscape 1

Question 1

What are the 4 parts/questions this course will answer?

Answer 1

Part 1: What makes media landscape products unique?
part 2: How did we get here? changes in society, representation and technology
Part 3: Where are we now? how companies and competitors respond to these changes
Part 4: Where should we go ? regulation, saturation & societal change

Question 2

Media Company

Answer 2

A company whose primary function is to produce and distribute content.

Question 3

5 Key Characteristics of Mass Media

Answer 3

1) One-to-many-one-way communication
2) Experiential goods
3) High fixed/first copy costs
4) Potential for (cheap) re-versioning
5) High risk

Question 4

Dual Product Market

Answer 4

Two things are produced: content sold to audiences and audiences sold to advertisers (attention is the actual product sold).

Question 5

Economies of Scale

Answer 5

The price per unit decreases as the quantity of output increases.

Question 6

Economies of Scope

Answer 6

Reselling in different formats is cheaper than the creation of the initial product/idea itself (spin-offs, branded products). You’re using resources you already have in-house to create something new.

Question 7

4 main outcomes of digitalization

Answer 7

1) Convergence
2) Interactivity
3) Diversification
4) Mobility

Question 8

Convergence

Answer 8

Blending of previously separate sectors: Content, Computing, and Conduits (Channels), the 3C’s.

Question 9

Interactivity

Answer 9

One way is replaced by two ways: users become “mass” content producers.

Question 10

Diversification

Answer 10

Heightened user control and choice: fragmentation or expansion of content.

Question 11

Mobility

Answer 11

Media on the go: leading to this “always on” culture.

Question 12

Technological determinism

Answer 12

Implying that technology is responsible and, in itself, the primary cause of social change.

Question 13

Mcluhans Optimism-

Answer 13

“Global village guy’ he believes:
-Technology itself matters
-New technology extends senses
-New media liberates audiences from hierarchy and isolation; it turns officialdom into everyday talk.

Question 14

Postman’s pessimism

Answer 14

“Amusing ourselves to death guy” he believes:
-The print-age delivered detailed, relevant, localized, and coherent information
-That dazzling stories from afar outweigh the relevant local
-TV and images stimulate superficiality in us
-Attention and rationality will go down and make us passive audiences.

Question 15

Media Life

Answer 15

Theorized by Deuze (2011) Media is so central that we don’t notice it; we don’t live with media but IN media.

2 clear manifestations:
personalized/individualized information space
always available, global connectivity

2 clear consequences:
Liquified boundaries: work/play, alone/interaction
Life changed to accommodate or exploit media.

Question 16

Media’s core responsibilities