ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book contributes to the growing body of research, and the policy process in some countries. The overall purpose of the book is to interrogate the notion of 'media power'. In recognizing the multifaceted ways that power can be exercised, authors were asked to conduct studies of either specific media companies or to provide overviews of particular regions and to address three primary axes of power: economy, politics, and culture. Corporations operating within the information, communication, and entertainment industries have significant influence on the production, circulation, consumption, and access to media content. One kind of analysis is often called power structure research, which focuses on 'the importance of formal and informal social networks as the means by which power is concentrated and institutionalized'. The book contains in-depth case studies on some of the largest media corporations in terms of revenue.
