Key Words:

Media concentration / Conglomerates: A media conglomerate, media group, or media institution is a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises, such as television, radio, publishing, motion pictures, theme parks, or the Internet

Globalisation: The combination of media through the cross-cultural exchange of ideas.

Horizontal Integration: When a business grows by acquiring a similar company in their industry at the same point of the supply chain.

Vertical Integration: When a business expands by acquiring another company that operates before or after them in the supply chain.

Regulation: Where a government removes controls and rules about how businesses are owned and controlled.

Deregulation: The limit in government power over a particular industry, usually to create more competition within the industry.

Gatekeepers: Someone or a group of people who holds power that can control the flow of information on a certain subject.

Free market: A type of economy that promotes the production and sale of goods and services, with little to no control or involvement from any central government agency. 

Monopolies: The ownership of different kinds of media by the same group. Those in power of monopolies can gatekeep information/ data/ the product they own.

Media Mergers: A result of one media related company buying another company for control of their resources, successful media companies usually buy out other companies to reach a larger viewing audience in order to increase views and profit.

Neo-liberalism: Reducing state influence in the economy, especially through privatization and austerity that tends to favour free market capitalism.

Surveillance/ Privacy/ Security: Monitoring data

GDPR: A regulation in EU law about data protection and privacy in the European Union.

Rupert Murdoch:

Murdoch is an Australian-born American media mogul. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world.

David Hesmondhalgh:

Hesmondhalgh is a researcher and theorist who critically analyse the relationship between media work and the media industry.

He wrote a book called The Cultural Industries calling it a critical reflection that highlights the ‘myth-making’ process surrounding the potential digital future for young creatives, setting up a counter-weight against the desire of so many young people who are perhaps too easily seduced to pursue a career in the creative industries.

A quote from his book states: ‘the distinctive organisational form of the cultural industries has considerable implications for the conditions under which symbolic creativity is carried out’ – In other words there must be serious concerns about the extent to which this business-driven, economic agenda is compatible with the quality of working life and of human well-being in the creative industries.