1. Class 6: Media Ownership and Control
CCT 300 Spring 2006
Class 6: Media Ownership and Control

2. Previously… Various forms of analyzing media form and genre
Social influence and culture jamming

3. Media Ownership and Media Control
Most media privately funded - why?
Effects of media ownership on form and content of media product - examples from Network

4. Horizontal Integration
Ownership of most/all players in media field
Cost savings, cost control and manipulation of barriers to entry can be managed in monopoly/oligopoly
Mass mediascape - rationalization of industry to few major players (examples?), a trend that continues

5. Vertical Integration
Ownership of all stations within supply and distribution chain
Control and profit potential at every stop - “sum is greater than the parts”
Also good for branding and cross-promotion - examples?

6. Alliances
Often not a question of outright purchase but adhoc alliances (examples?)
Enabled by interlocking boards of directors, “gentlemen’s clubs”, social class

7. Limits to Integration
Synergy helps - some mergers don’t make much conceptual sense (examples?)
Not absolute control - still independent operators on the fringe, especially in high-risk, low-profit endeavours
Size and power not absolute - changes in interest or technology can compromise even the big brands

8. Effects on Media Production
Steinem’s struggles with Ms. Magazine
Initially ad-supported, moved to subscriber-funded model in why?

9. Advertiser bias
Women’s magazines = women’s products (e.g., beauty products and food, but not cars or technology)
Activist magazine “not our audience”
Position held even in presence of contrary evidence that women hold real power and influence on purchases, and not just on “women’s products”

10. Product Placement Double standard in women’s vs. “real” publications
Product placement linked to copy (e.g., recipes linked directly to food ads) deliberately part of contract - without such manipulation, no ads
Does this happen in other publications? Somewhat, but not as blatant as this

11. Alternative Finance Models
Ms. moved to subscriber model
Others include:
Member support
Public/government support
Hybrid models
Pay-per-use

12. Changes…
New media brings costs of production and dissemination down - reduces barriers of entry and barriers to distribution, allows for new players to emerge at reasonable cost
New payment options and technologies also have emerged in recent years

13. McCloud
Micropayments as means to reward artists directly for their work while streamlining distribution overhead
Can/does this work?
Examples where it is?
What are the limitations of this model?

14. Wiki
Specify media type with some specificity - can you break it down further?
Look to apply analytical frameworks and concepts from first two weeks
Provide exemplars
Note overlap with other media types

15. Culture Jamming/Influence
Assignment outline expanded
Group formation
Proposal due Tuesday - hard copy for review, online to show others what you’re doing and get feedback there (wiki discussions)

16. Next Class
Propaganda, Truth and Objectivity
Group Proposals Due