Media Trends

Introduction to the Media

• Definition: Media refers to channels of communication that send and receive information to large audiences. It involves one-to-many communication.

• Characteristics (Dutton et al, 1998):

  • Impersonal: The sender does not know the receivers.

  • Lacking in immediacy: No audience involvement in production.

  • One-way: Communication from producer to consumer.

  • Physical/technological distance: Same message received by all.

  • Organized: Requires vehicles (e.g., televisions, internet).

  • Large-scale and simultaneous: E.g., global events like the FIFA World Cup.

  • Commodified: Content often has a price, and the audience is viewed as a commodity.

New Media

• Definition: New media includes mobile phones and computers with different capacities for communication:

  • One-to-one (e.g., email)

  • One-to-many (e.g., social media platforms)

  • Many-to-many (e.g., peer-to-peer networks)

Media Trends

1. Ownership and Control

• Concentration of Ownership:

  • Trend towards fewer media owners controlling larger corporations.

  • Major examples include Comcast, Alphabet, Time Warner, and Walt Disney.

  • McChesney (2000) argues that consumers have an appearance of choice despite limited product diversity.

2. Conglomeration

• Involves companies developing diverse interests across different media forms. E.g., Silvio Berlusconi’s company, Fininvest.

• Amazon: Evolved from bookseller to media distributor, showcasing diversification.

3. Digitalization

• Transition from analog to digital media, affecting all forms of mass media:

  • Online editions for newspapers/magazines.

  • Digital music consumption.

  • Increased TV channels via digital broadcasting.

4. Social Media

• Enabled users to create their own content and networks (many-to-many communication). Examples include Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

• Different types include social networks, video sharing, and blogs.

Debates about Media Control

• Private Ownership: E.g., Rupert Murdoch's control over News Corporation.

• State Ownership: Government controls vary globally. For instance, Chinese state-run media versus independent broadcasters elsewhere.

• Control dynamics include potential censorship by owners versus operational decisions by employees (controllers).

• Galbraith (1967): Media control is in the hands of a ‘technocratic managerial elite’ rather than owners.

Changes in Media Consumption

• Globalization: Led to media corporations operating across borders as per Davis and McAdam (2000).

• Audience Fragmentation: Less communal viewing; each household may have multiple viewing preferences.

Adaptation of Traditional Media

• Audio: Continued evolution with more radio stations and the popularity of streaming services like Spotify.

• Newspapers: Shift to digital, with examples like the Daily Mail being one of the most visited news sites globally despite declining print readership.

• Television: Remains popular, with new technologies expanding user choice. Deregulation in the UK (Broadcasting Acts, 1990 & 1996) allowed new market entrants and diverse programming.

Conclusion

• Traditional media's role is changing with new media; they face challenges but adapt to audience needs.

• Weinberger (2012) highlights the complexity of information on the internet, arguing that for every fact, there exists an opposing fact, challenging the ideological role of media.

Media Regulation

Ofcom (Office of Communications)

• Establishment: Established on 29 December 2003, consolidating functions of five previous regulators (e.g., Broadcasting Standards Commission).

• Purpose: Regulates broadcasting, telecommunications, and postal services in the UK; promotes competition and protects the public from harmful content.

• Example of Media Regulation: Conducted a public interest test in 2023 for a potential merger involving the Telegraph Media Group to assess implications on media plurality and editorial standards.

Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)

• Establishment: Established on 8 September 2014, replacing the Press Complaints Commission.

• Purpose: Independent regulator for newspapers and magazines; upholds journalism standards via the Editors' Code of Practice and addresses complaints.

• Example of Media Regulation: Has adjudicated cases of breaches of the Editors' Code, requiring corrections or apologies from publications.

Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

• Establishment: Established on 1 October 2013, operational from 1 April 2014; merged the Office of Fair Trading and Competition Commission.

• Purpose: Principal authority for competition and consumer protection; investigates mergers, combats anti-competitive behavior, and advises on competition issues.

• Example of Media Regulation: In 2023, ordered Meta to divest Giphy to maintain competition in social media and protect consumer choice.