Media Ownership questions

What is horizontal and vertical integration in the media industry and can you provide an example?
Horizontal integration: Where an organisation develops by buying up competitors in the same section of the market. This allows media corporations to reach a wider audience.  
For example The Walt Disney Company owns film studios, theme parks, Disney Stores
s and televisions networks, such as ABC.  
Vertical integration: This is where an institution has shares or owns each part of the production and distribution process. This allows media organisations to make profit at every stage in the production chain. 
For example, The Warner Bros Entertainment calls itself a fully integrated broad based entertainment company which owns film studios and the means to distribute the films as well as some of the cinemas in which they are shown. Warner Bros in itself is part of an even bigger conglomerate called Time Warner which is a huge media conglomerate institution which uses horizontal Integration to consolidate its power and profits. 
  
What does Melody (1978) believe happens to the 'media market'?
According to William Melody, the greatest threat to freedom of expression is the possibility that private entrepreneurs will always tend to monopolise the marketplace of ideas in the name of economic efficiency and private profit. For entrepreneurs to monopolise this means that only ideas of entrepreneurs will appear in the marketplace. This impacts some institutions with problems upon entering the market place.

What does Neuman (1991) believe happens to media content? Why is this a problem for the audience?
Neuman believes that the result is that of which most people hear and see in the mass media is remarkably uniform in content and world-view. The media content becomes standardized  and therefore meaning that the same content is boring for the audience.

What does Sterling think about the level of research?
Sterling observes, 'surprisingly little research has been done - only marginally more than we could draw on two decades ago. Too much is assumed or anecdotal, merely suggesting results from ownership changes'. This suggests Sterling thinks too much is being assumed in contrast to the lack of research being done.

What does the media reproduce according to Gomery (2000)?
According to Gomery, the media reproduce reliable information, knowledge, ideology and propaganda in contemporary Capitalist societies. This establishes general everyday values, reproducing class inequalities and therefore, using media in a way that does not benefit certain individuals.

The media industry and corporate power form a powerful cartel. What does it do to local cultures (Meier)?
The powerful cartel encourages the spread of certain values (like individualism, egoism and shareholder value). The public sphere is displaced with commercial infotainment, reality shows and trivialised news programmes due to the strong incentives. Local cultures and communities are eroding and a conservative 'common sense' view of the world is strengthening.

How have media corporations influenced the law? What impact does this have on new businesses entering the market?
Media conglomerates have gained economic strength, which increased their position in society in order for them to become powerful institutions with a great political power. Large media giants have achieved success in writing media laws and regulations to favour the interests of their corporations rather than the interests of the general public (Bagdikian 2000).

What issue does convergence pose for media ownership?
Numerous cross-media ownership rules have been relaxed or disposed with a rise of laissez-faire ideology in European and US parliaments, governments and regulatory bodies. This means that ownership worsens, making it harder for small companies to reach wider audiences.

What does the FCC believe about programme diversity?
FCC (Federal Communications Commission) believes the programme diversity was neccessary to maximise public service. This means that the greater the number of independent broadcasters, the greater the chances for achieving the desired diversity. Rules were adopted that restrict common ownership of broadcast stations and broadcast stations in combination with other media forms.