Horizontal integration is where an organization develops by buying up competitors in the same section of the market, and allows companies to reach a wider audience . E.g. Disney bought the rights to Star Wars allowing them to reach a wider audience.
Vertical integration describes a style of management control. Vertically integrated companies in a supply chain are united through a common owner. It allows media organizations to make profit at every stage in the production stage in the chain. Usually each member of the supply chain produces a different product or service. News Corp owns the forests from which their newspapers are printed.
2. What does Melody (1978) believe happens to the 'media market'?
As a result of economic conditions or circumstances, access to the market place of ideas is restricted to a privileged few. 25 years ago, Melody made a statement of, only 37 cities out of 1519 in the USA had two or more daily newspapers. By 2000 the number had decreased and the one-newspaper town had become the national norm. Fewer owners have control over more newspapers and their circulation, and most of the media have been absorbed by large conglomerates, 'families' or chains.
3.What does Neuman (1991) believe happens to media content? Why is it a problem for the audience?
What most people hear and see in the mass media is remarkably uniform in content and world view. Giddens goes further and he calls for 'the democratizing of the democracy'. The media have a double relation to democracy. On the other hand, the emergence of a global information society is a powerful democratizing force. Yet television and the other media tend to destroy the very public.
4. What does Sterling think about the level of research?
"Surprisingly little research has been done- only margining more than we could draw on two decades ago. Too much is assumed or anecdotal, merely suggesting results from ownership changes'.
5. What does the media reproduce according to Gomery (2000)?
Believes the marxist argument that the capitalist society controls the media and tells people with less power what to do and where to stay. It makes out that if you believe the message of keeping you in your place so that the people keep paying money to see their films. It persuades the people not to question or challenge the capitalist the society.
6. The media industry and corporate power form a powerful cartel. What does it do to local cultures (Mier)?
Corporate power creates a powerful cartel which in turn encourages the spread of certain values (e.g. consumerism and share hold value). There are strong incentives for the displacement of the public sphere with commercial infotainment. This strengthens a conservative 'common sense' view of th eworld eroding local cultures.
7. How have media corporations influenced the law? What impact does this have on new businesses entering the market?
According to Bagdikian the largest media giants have achieved alarming success in writing the media laws and regulations to favor the interests of their corporation rather than the interests of the general public.
8. What issue does convergence pose for media ownership?
In Europe and the USA, many cross-media ownership rules have been relaxed or have disappeared with the rise of a laissez-faire ideology within parliaments, government and regulatory bodies.
9. What does the FCC believe about program diversity?
The Federal Communications Commission once believed that programming diversification was necessary to maximize public service. It was argued that the number of independent broadcasters, the greater the chances for achieving the desired diversity.
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