Ownership, Convergence and Conglomeration
Who owns the media: conglomerates, diversification, vertical and horizontal integration, the concentration of ownership, and how convergence brings different media together on one device.
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Who owns the media?
The films, television and music we enjoy are mostly made by a small number of very large companies. Understanding who owns the media, and how those companies are organised, helps to explain why we see the products we do. This module looks at ownership, integration and convergence.
Words for the industry
Learn these four terms before you study how the media is owned.
Two kinds of integration
Companies grow by owning more of the market in two different ways.
What ownership does to content
A top answer explains the effect of ownership, not just the terms. When a few conglomerates control most of the media, there are fewer independent voices, more cross-promotion of their own products, and less choice for audiences. Always link ownership to what audiences can see.
Match the term
- conglomerate
- diversification
- vertical integration
- horizontal integration
- a large company that owns many smaller media companies
- spreading a business into different types of media
- owning every stage from production to sale
- owning several companies at the same stage
Match the example to the idea
- a company owns a film studio, cinemas and a streaming service
- a company owns several different television channels
- watching video, reading news and messaging on one smartphone
- a few large companies control most of the media
- vertical integration
- horizontal integration
- convergence
- concentration of ownership
What is convergence?
What is convergence in the media?
- Different media such as text, sound and video coming together on one device.
- One company owning every stage of production.
- Splitting a large company into many small ones.
- Two rival companies merging into one.
Features of a conglomerate
Select the TWO features of a conglomerate.
- It owns many smaller companies.
- It works across different media such as film, television and music.
- It only ever makes one product.
- It is always a small local business.
How ownership concentrates
Put the stages of concentration of ownership in order, earliest first.
- Many small independent companies exist
- Larger companies buy them up in takeovers
- A few big conglomerates control the market
- There are fewer independent voices
Summarise ownership
A _____ is a large company that owns many smaller media companies. When one company owns every stage from making a product to selling it, this is _____ integration. When a company owns several businesses at the same stage, this is _____ integration. When a few companies control most of the media, this is called _____ of ownership. Different media coming together on one device is called _____.
Count the types
Integration of media companies comes in how many main types: vertical and horizontal?
Find the convergence
Tap the TWO examples of convergence.
- Watching video and messaging on one smartphone
- A film studio that also owns cinemas
- A news website that also streams video and podcasts
- One company owning several radio stations
- Two companies joining in a merger
Which idea is it?
Decide which idea each situation shows.
- A company owns the film studio, the distributor and the cinemas
- A company owns several different magazine titles
- One phone lets you watch television, read news and listen to music
Explain the effect
Explain how the concentration of media ownership can affect what audiences are able to watch and read. Use the ideas of conglomerates and independent voices.
- Explain what concentration of ownership means
- Explain how it affects the number of independent voices
- Explain one effect on what audiences see