Recent transformations in media ownership and market concentration have had a considerable impact on the diversity and quality of news and information accessible to the public. After many years of journalism experience, producing and disseminating news continues to be a highly challenging, but necessary endeavor (Ferrucci and Nelson, 2019; Neff et al., 2022; Picard, 2010). In the latest decades, two categories of new entrants are playing a decisive role in this scenario: small-scale businesses characterized by adaptable frameworks and cost-efficient operations (Medina, Breiner & Sánchez-Tabernero, 2023) and technology titans such as Google, Meta, X, and TikTok (Voci et al., 2019; Trappel, 2024). The stability of the information system is jeopardized by the financial
instability of traditional media conglomerates or the infiltration of technological platforms with substantial market reach but minimal regard for journalistic standards (Flew et al., 2024; Hendrickx, Smets, & Ballon, 2021).The current
discourse centers on expanding the scope of corporations’ operations to guarantee income streams that support journalistic endeavors (Vara-Miguel et al., 2023) or resort to public funding to preserve a struggling market (Sjøvaag & Krumsvik, 2018).
In the present call for papers, we invite authors to contribute empirical and theoretical research on how ownership can influence the continuity of news media and its essential role in democracy.
This special issue aims to bring together interdisciplinary research that sheds
light on the following topics (not limited to):
● In the digital age, who owns media matters.
● Ownership and strategic management of media companies as sources of competitive advantage.
● Financial sustainability of media companies: solutions to overcoming information market failures.
● Exploring how private and public ownership influences the content of media outlets.
● Market concentration and pluralism in the digital era.
● Transparency in media ownership: implications and case studies.
● Editorial independence and media ownership.
● Relationships between media ownership, politics and democracy.
● Influence of media ownership on audience trust.
● Impact of changes in media ownership and ownership on content policies and strategies.
● The transformation of media companies through technology
