Industries: ownership and control

Media conglomerate research

1) Type up your research notes from the lesson - what did you find out about your allocated media conglomerate? Selection of companies: Alphabet, The Walt Disney Company, Comcast, 21st Century Fox, Facebook, Viacom, News Corp, Time Warner. If you were absent or didn't have time in the lesson to make these notes, research any of the companies above and find examples of all the terminology outlined in the notes at the start of this blogpost.




2) Do you agree that governments should prevent media conglomerates from becoming too dominant? Write an argument that looks at both sides of this debate.




Media Magazine reading and questions




Media Magazine 52 has a good feature on the changing relationship between audiences and institutions in the digital age. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM52 and scroll to page 9 to read the article 'Two Key Concepts: The Relationship Between Audience and Institution'.




1) Briefly describe the production, promotion and distribution process for media companies.

First, the production process gives the audience the media products that they need. The producers have to consider what the audience wants and should meet their expectations. The promotion process is to research what the audience is interested in and to advertise in a way to persuade them to visit their media product. Finally, the distribution process is to find the best way to reach and distribute the media product to the audience making it easy as possible.

2) What are the different funding models for media institutions?

BBC - since the BBC is a public service which means it can only be funded by the public using licence fee and selling merchandise like DVD's, magazine and other BBC products.

ITV - ITV relies on advertisements and sponsorships. Which mean their strategy is to appeal to bigger audiences and attract more sponsorships to buy add space.

Sky One - Sky One is a paid TV channel which means it relies on subscription fees and advertising.

3) The article gives a lot of examples of major media brands and companies. Choose three examples from the article and summarise what the writer is saying about each of them.

Disney - 

Marvel - 

Walt Disney Company - 

4) What examples are provided of the new business models media companies have had to adopt due to changes in technology and distribution?



5) Re-read the section on 'The Future'. What examples are discussed of technology companies becoming major media institutions?




6) Do you agree with the view that traditional media institutions are struggling to survive?

I sort of agree. Sort of meaning that they are not struggling to "survive" meaning staying a lot but instead I believe there is problems adapting. But I don't the struggle is causing media institutions to close down. The audience is totally different then it was before. I feel now today audience are more strict on what to watch due to it being so easy to watch anything now a day. Some media institutions are a bit conservative nowadays which they struggle to adapt, which bring lower sales and revenue. But other big media institutions use change for their benefit and adapt to the new market.

7) How might diversification or vertical integration help companies to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing media landscape?



8) How do YOU see the relationship between audience and institution in the future? Will audiences gain increasing power or will the major global media conglomerates maintain their control?

I believe in the future the audience is going to change a lot. The normal won't be something completely different like we have seen today. I feel that it will change so much that major global media conglomerates have to change to maintain their sales and revenue. If they don't they are going to struggle.