Theories Of Ownership And Control: Trends And Patterns

Question 1

Media concentration

Answer 1

Recent trends in media ownership and control suggest that he number of companies controlling global mass media has significantly shrunk in recent years

Question 2

Bagdikian

Answer 2

In 1983

• 50 corporations controlled majority of all news media in USA
• by 2004 media ownership was concentrated in seven corporations

Question 3

• 50 corporations own news media in USA

- 2004 concentrated into 7 corporations

Answer 3

Bagdikian

Question 4

Conglomeration

Answer 4

• difference in media control compared with 40 years ago is the movement of media corporations into the global marketplace
• major companies are now global conglomerates
• transnational corporations with a presence in many countries
  E.g. Disney, timer Warner

Question 5

Horizontal integration

Answer 5

• cross media ownership - invest in a wide range of media products
• e.g newscorp owns newspapers, magazines, book publishers, TV

Question 6

Vertical integration

Answer 6

Companies increasing economic control over all aspects of production process

• maximise profits
• e.g. film corporations not only make movies but distribute them to their own cinema chains
• netflix

Question 7

Synergy:

Answer 7

Media companies often use their very diverse interests to package or synergies their products in several different ways

• e.g. films is often accompanied by a soundtrack album, computer game, ring tone or totally actions figures
• Disney Store

Question 8

Technological convergence

Answer 8

Involves putting several technologies into one media product
E.g. the iPhone