An exploration of the work of media industries and the complex of factors that make the business of media so distinctive. In what ways has the media business evolved in the past 25 years? How do emergent media business models compare with legacy media industries? What economic drivers steer the media economy? How do business and political interests influence the packaging and selling of news and entertainment media? Student address these and other questions while applying their insights to the analyses of specific media business case studies. We examine the dynamics of media by noticing how news, social media, and entertainment businesses are structured and the the cultural work they do. The course emphasizes the basic economics of the media business and the relationship between content and distribution in a market context. Readings, guest speakers, and creation of a hypothetical start-up provide students with a broad understanding of the current media environment.

An exploration of the work of media industries and the complex of factors that make the business of media so distinctive. In what ways has the media business evolved in the past 25 years? How do emergent media business models compare with legacy media industries? What economic drivers steer the media economy? How do business and political interests influence the packaging and selling of news and entertainment media? Student address these and other questions while applying their insights to the analyses of specific media business case studies. We examine the dynamics of media by noticing how news, social media, and entertainment businesses are structured and the the cultural work they do. The course emphasizes the basic economics of the media business and the relationship between content and distribution in a market context. Readings, guest speakers, and creation of a hypothetical start-up provide students with a broad understanding of the current media environment.