Business, Global and Legacy Media Overview

media freedom map

This week introduces you to who owns our media. During the past 60 years, consolidation has decreased the number of corporations who provide our information and entertainment. The number of "voices" has diminished. The global media chapter explains the types of relationship between media and governments and how this affects access and content. Finally, you will learn about the historical, cultural, societal, technological, and economic development of books and magazines.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this week you will be able to...

  • Describe how the media developed as a private industry in the United States from the colonial period to the invention of the internet
  • Identify who the major legacy media conglomerates are
  • Explain why Comcast, Google, Apple, and other tech companies may be considered major media companies
  • Identify the reasons behind the argument that the era of mass culture is over, and we are entering an individualistic, less mass-oriented culture
  • Describe the role of mass communication in democratic and nondemocratic countries
  • Define the public sphere and public opinion
  • Discuss the implications of the digital divide for citizen participation in the public sphere
  • Explain the concept of hegemony and its relevance to media in an age of globalization
  • Outline the role of developed and developing nations in a global flow of news and entertainment media
  • Assess the importance of indigenous media to local and global culture
  • Explain how the rise of digital media has affected national and international security
  • Describe the general functions of print media, and distinguish between books, newspapers, and magazines.
  • Trace the historical development of print media.
  • Explain current business issues affecting the industries for each print medium.
  • Outline the financial model for each print medium, including sales, circulation, readership, and distribution, as well as the transition to digital business models.
  • Identify forces—including political, cultural, economic, technological—likely to affect the future of the print media.

What You Will Do: June 24 - 30

  • Unit 2A: Media Business (Ch. 3)
    • Read textbook Chapter 3
    • Read Current Articles for Unit 2A
    • View Flashcards for Unit 2A
  • Unit 2B: Global Media (Ch. 11)
    • Read textbook Chapter 11
    • Read Current Articles for Unit 2B
    • View Flashcards for Unit 2B
  • Unit 2C: Legacy Media (Books and Magazines) (Ch. 4)
    • Read textbook Chapter 4
    • Read Current Articles for Unit 2C
    • View Flashcards for Unit 2C
    • Watch Unit 2 Online Lecture Quiz*

Work to Submit: June 30

  • Units 2A, 2B, and 2C Journals via Padlet
  • *Unit 2 Online Lecture Quiz (questions contained within video)
  • Unit 2 Discussion
  • Unit 2 Reading Quiz (questions from textbook material)