Measuring media concentration and diversity

New approaches and instruments in Europe and the US

Bibliographic Data

ID11268993
AuthorsNatascha Just (0000-0002-0683-1177, University of Zurich, corresponding author)
Year2009
Volume31
Issue1
Pages97-117
Publication date2009-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedia Culture & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0163-4437 • E-ISSN: 1460-3675
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0163443708098248
OpenAlexW1965514601
LanguageEN
Citations received32
References cited17

Debates about media concentration and its adequate handling are not coming to an end. This paper stresses the dual character of media goods, the underlying ideological ideals, and the attendant institutional setting as source of value conflict in communications policy making. It discusses this value conflict and gives examples of where it surfaces and how it is confronted. It is particularly evident in cases of media concentration. Newly introduced communications laws and policies within Europe and the USA aim to reduce (ownership) regulation, promote competition and cope with the challenges posed by convergence. This quest is coupled in part with protections of media pluralism through custom-developed indices for measuring concentration in media markets and tests for assessing media plurality in merger cases. The paper describes and discusses such new methods and instruments as novel but imperfect attempts by policy makers to respond to the various challenges in communications such as value conflict, convergence, the need for empirical proof and claims for non-economic ways of assessing media diversity. It concludes by stressing the need to re-emphasize normative claims as essential guiding elements of communications policy making

Business · Convergence (economics · Diversity (politics · Economics · Ideology · Imperfect · Normative · Pluralism (philosophy · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Technological convergence · Telecommunications · Value (mathematics · Computer Science · Cultural Industries and Urban Development · Law · Media Influence and Politics · Merger and Competition Analysis

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