INDUSTRIES: OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL BLOG TASK!

 

INDUSTRIES: OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL BLOG TASK:

Media conglomerate research

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, Meta, Viacom, News Corp, Time Warner. If you were absent or didn't have time in the lesson to make these notes, research any one of the companies above and find examples of all the terminology outlined in the notes at the start of this blogpost.

Name of media conglomerate: Meta

conglomerate ownership (what brands, companies or media products is the conglomerate best known for?): 

• Facebook 
• Instagram
• Whats app

Vertical and horizontal integration (what example can you find of vertical or horizontal integration for this conglomerate?):

Vertical: Facebook and Instagram same industry (social media) share similar production stages in their photo sharing services

Horizontal: providing applications on many devices and APIs that allow messages to be delivered to and from its communication platform.

Synergy and convergence (find a media product or brand associated with your conglomerate):

Convergence: Social media apps can be downloaded from the app store

Diversification (what examples can you find of diversification for your conglomerate):

Onavo: Israeli mobile web

Horizon worlds: Online video game

Cross media regulation (can you find any examples of the conglomerate getting into trouble with government regulators due to their business model)

Meta has lost billions of dollars in advertising income due to Apple's privacy reforms to its mobile operating system and the migration of younger users to TikTok from Facebook and Instagram

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

I think the government should prevent media conglomerates from being too dominant, this is because the media already has a massive impact on how the audience view certain media. It had the power to change audiences' views and ideas, the power media has of this can be very dangerous to people in this society and can cause a negative impact in terms of audiences physical, mental and emotional health.

Media Magazine reading and questions: 

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

• Production process: Provides audiences with the media products they want. It needs to consider the audiences desires and should provide the gratifications the audience expects.
• Promotion process: Researches and identifies the target audience for the product and uses advertising and marketing strategies to inform and persuade them of the value of the media product
• Distribution process: uses the most appropriate methods for getting the product to the audience and making it as easy as possible for them to access it

What are the different funding models for media institutions?

• BBC
• ITV
• Sky One
• Sony
• The Mail Online

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. 

• BBC:  Is funded by a licence fee and it has a public service remit, it is more likely to screen programmes with a regional interest than other broadcasters.
• ITV:  Relies on income generated by advertisers. This means that appeal to a large audience are seen as more valuable than ones with smaller niche audiences
• Sky One:  Needs an income from subscribers and may well invest in programming that attracts a loyal audience, who are more likely to invest in a long term subscription to guarantee early access to the shows they enjoy.

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

• The music industry can no longer generate most of its profits through the sale of music itself. So, Sponsorship, merchandising and the income generated by the live shows are some of the ways it seeks to recoup its investment.
• Some online newspapers now require audiences to subscribe to access their content or provide premium content to those who pay for mobile apps.
• The BBC is reconsidering its funding structure now on-demand viewing is becoming more popular.

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

Technology companies such as as Amazon, Facebook, Google and Yahoo are, by their very nature, at the forefront of change; they too have become media institutions.

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

I agree that the traditional media institutions are struggling to survive, this is because the dynamic market of technology is going to take over all forms of traditional media such as newspaper, magazines and radio. The media market is going to create ways to find and attract audience and the only this can be done is by technology as this is what is the generation is going to start relying on or maybe already has started to.

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

Vertical integration: Involves growth through streamlining operations. It strengthens their supply chains and reduces their production costs.

Diversification: Helps expand into new markets and industries and achieve greater profitability.

I believe that this can help companies by putting more money in improvements that can help attract customers in the different new extensions of the business. The mix of vertical and horizontal integrations and diversification can help the media industry to stay upright and not fall down to the decline stage of marketing.

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?

As the years go by, there will be new technology introduced that will only be created to make things easier for the audience therefore I think the audience is more likely going to gain power. Because of the repetitive changes to the technology market the media market is going to try its best to keep changing so it attracts the audience. This is also because the audience has more freedom to access media products when they choose, the digital landscape has developed audiences' relationships with institutions that have continued to change.