ABSTRACT
Because media organizations, and news organizations in particular, depend on other groups for content and income, changes in the social environment force adjustments in the way media organizations operate. The change in the social environment that is particularly pertinent to news organizations is social differentiation, which is observed in the greater ethnic and racial diversity of the population and in the increasing diversity of occupational specialization. Differentiation through the division of labor and occupational specialization is “the peaceful solution to the struggle for survival” (Aron, 1989 [1967], p. 23). As society becomes more differentiated, the power structure becomes more differentiated as well (Tichenor, Donohue, & Olien, 1980). By power structure, I mean those individuals, groups, and institutions that have the resources, organization, and skills necessary to achieve goals in spite of opposition from others. 1
