What Does Digital Media Allow Us to “Do” to One Another?

The purpose of this integrative review of theory and research is to assess the economic impact of digital media in ways that are unreached by instrumental means of measuring economic activity. Specifically, we use three overarching arguments identified from a review of the literature that broadly defines the economic force of digital media content in contemporary society. We contextualize those arguments in terms of current issues in the field and gaps in the research base before concluding with a discussion of the implications of what we learned for education, civic engagement, social practice, and policy.

2014

The Digital Difference examines how the transition from the industrial-era media of one-way publishing and broadcasting to the two-way digital era of online search and social media has affected the dynamics of public life. In the digital age, fundamental beliefs about privacy and identity are subject to change, as is the formal legal basis of freedom of expression. Will it be possible to maintain a vibrant and open marketplace of ideas? In W. Russell Neuman’s analysis, the marketplace metaphor does not signal that money buys influence, but rather just the opposite—that the digital commons must be open to all ideas so that the most powerful ideas win public attention on their merits rather than on the taken-for-granted authority of their authorship. Technologies by their nature do not cause freedom nor do they limit it. Technologies are embedded in a complex set of cultural expectations and institutions as well as regulatory and legal principles. Fear of the “communication effects” of “bad ideas” is the enemy of free speech. Neuman traces the digital difference from the era of propaganda studies and concerns about Big Brother to issues of information overload and the core policy debate about Internet network neutrality.

Advances in Media, Entertainment, and the Arts, 2016

Handbook of research on the societal impact of digital media / Barbara Guzzetti and Mellinee Lesley, editors. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index.

Handbook of Media Economics, 2016

We survey the economics literature on media as it applies to the Internet. The Internet is an important driver behind media convergence and connects information and communication technologies. While new Internet media share some properties with traditional media, several novel features have appeared: On the content side, aggregation by third parties that have no editorial policy and usergenerated content have become increasingly important. On the advertiser side, fine-tuned tailoring and targeting of ads based on individual user characteristics are common features on many Internet media and social networks. On the user side, we observe increased possibilities of time-shifting, multi-homing, and active search. These changes have gone hand-in-hand with new players entering media markets, including search engines and Internet service providers. Some of these players face novel strategic considerations, such as how to present search results. In response to these changes, an emerging economics literature focuses on the allocative and welfare implications of this new media landscape. This paper is an attempt to organize these contributions and provide a selective account of novel economic mechanisms that shape market outcomes of Internet media. A large body of work has focused on the advertising part of the industry, while some studies also look at content provision and the interaction between the two.

A Research Agenda for Media Economics, 2019

The overarching goal of this volume is to establish a research agenda for the field of media economics. To look forward, it is helpful to first consider the history of this area to understand its nuances and development as an area of study. "Study the past if you would define the future" is a quote commonly attributed to Confucius and is relevant to the task faced by the editor and contributors of this volume. While we may not be able to predict future trends for the field of media economics, we do hope to offer guidance and suggestions for new generations of PhD students and scholars interested in this rapidly changing field over a variety of topics. What is media economics? Media economics is a sub-field developed out of the larger area of general economics. Media economics involves the application and study of economic theories and concepts to the media industries (Albarran, 2017). In terms of theories, much of the development of the field has been influenced by theories based in microeconomics, such as the industrial organization model and the theory of the firm. Concepts drawn from mainstream economics include the firm, the industry and different types of markets (for example, monopoly, duopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic competition, perfect competition) all found across media economics research. There are also concepts developed to help explain specific aspects of media economics research such as the dual product market, media competition and multiplatform distribution. Macroeconomic theories have also influenced scholars interested in media economics. Among these are studies related to aggregate economic activity such as gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national product (GNP) metrics, public policy actions in the form of laws and regulation, and labor and employment trends. Interest and inflation rates are important macroeconomic concepts. A further strand of theories revolve around the area known as political economy, a critical approach with origins in Marxism, which looks at topics such as media hegemony and technological determinism. Political economy developed as an alternative view of media economics research. In this volume, our focus is on the mainstream areas of research drawn from microeconomic and macroeconomic

MedieKultur: Journal of media and communication research, 2009

2018

Media economics is the study of choices, what incentives and disincentives influence them, and how to make better choices to inform company decisions, public understanding, and policymaking. The present paper reviews the development of the field since the beginning in the 1970s with scholars such as Alfonso Nieto at the University of Navarra, Nadine ToussaintDesmoulins at the University of Paris 2, and Karl Erik Gustafsson at the University of Gothenburg to the emerging of the field with more scholars from different countries. Nowadays the field of media economics research has matured and become multifaceted, encompassing a wide variety of theories and approaches necessary to explore multiple developments and issues in media structures and operations. It is particularly relevant because media and communications are amid a massive transformation created by technology, social changes, and changes in demand. Expansion of commercial media and personal communications, new means of produc...

Palabra Clave, 2005

This paper offers a commentary, and not an exhaustive summary, of the research methodologies used in media economics research, and discusses the need for improvement and development of better tools for analysis and research approaches. As media economics scholarship continues to evolve and develop in Colombia and the South American regions, perhaps some of the efforts made by scholars in other parts of the world can be beneficial to scholars in this rapidly growing region. Likewise, the research completed by Columbian scholars, and efforts to develop methodological approaches specific to the needs of studying media economics in Columbia and other South American nations, will help to benefit the field.

2013

""The rise of digital media has been widely regarded as transforming the nature of our social experience in the twenty–first century. The speed with which new forms of connectivity and communication are being incorporated into our everyday lives often gives us little time to stop and consider the social implications of those practices. Nonetheless, it is critically important that we do so, and this sociological introduction to the field of digital technologies is intended to enable a deeper understanding of their prominent role in everyday life. The fundamental theoretical and ethical debates on the sociology of the digital media are presented in accessible summaries, ranging from economy and technology to criminology and sexuality. Key theoretical paradigms are explored through a broad range of contemporary social phenomena – from social networking and virtual lives to the rise of cybercrime and identity theft, from the utopian ideals of virtual democracy to the Orwellian nightmare of the surveillance society, from the free software movement to the implications of online shopping. As an entry–level pathway for students in sociology, media, communications and cultural studies, the aim of this work is to situate the rise of digital media within the context of a complex and rapidly changing world. ‘ Digital Media and Society is a comprehensive, compelling and critical examination of the social and cultural consequences of digital media and communication technologies. The book provides a cohesive and coherent look at the present digital state of society, and it explains how the digital present came to be and what its consequences are. It is written in a clear, jargon–free manner and filled with information and questions that make it a remarkably useful teaching text.’ Steve Jones, University of Illinois at Chicago ‘Adrian Athique’s introduction brings digital media, and its culture, politics and economics, into sharp focus. This book provides an essential outline of the digital world; it is accessible to all while remaining complex enough to be accurate.’ Tim Jordan, King’s College London" " The book is jammed packed with many current and interesting issues of concern and includes an impressive review of an extensive range of related scholarly publications. The style of the book makes it a great textbook for students of sociology or communication and media studies. All in all, the book is ambitious and impressive, it includes an extensive account of contemporary scholarly work in related fields, and it was easy and enjoyable to read. The book is warmly recommend to other readers." Nasrine Olson, Information Research "Digital Media and Society’s main strength to provide a concise and eclectic yet satisfactorily rich and well contextualized account of digital life. Athique successfully situates this complex, multifaceted subject with the same proficiency he showed in his explorations of India’s media culture, at the crossroads between cultural practice, economic development, and geopolitical struggle...Digital Media and Society (is) a great didactic tool to introduce sociology and communications students to the advent of the digital society. The author’s ability to situate the complex, interconnected issues and perspectives at stake will without any doubt encourage those students not only to critically engage but also to continue exploring this new indispensable field of sociological inquiry." Louis Melancon, Canadian Journal of Sociology "Overall, in a context characterised by a lot of published, but at times fragmented, ‘noise’ around digital media and society, Athique’s book provides a clear, well-structured and comprehensive overview of the historical development of both digital media and the variety of approaches to theorise their impact. If we allow for the duly acknowledged ‘Anglophone bias’, the book convincingly explores a contemporary ‘digital society’." Henk Huijser, Media International Australia"