Media Management and Economics 2007 Abstracts
Media Management and Economics Division
Innovation Management and U.S. Weekly Newspaper Web Sites: An Examination of Newspaper Managers and Emerging Technology • Jennifer Wood Adams, Auburn University • Using Everett Rogers’ (2003) theory of innovation in organizations, this nationwide study examines U.S. weekly newspapers and their adoption and management of innovation, specifically the online newspaper. Most newspaper managers report they did not develop a business plan for the new product or set specific, measurable goals to aid in assessing the success of the online newspaper. In addition, almost three-fourths of the newspapers did not gather target-market or audience research before launching the online newspaper.
Content Differences Between Publicly Held and Privately Held Newspapers • Randal Beam, University of Washington • Recent changes involving publicly held newspaper companies have heightened concerns about the relationship between ownership structure and journalistic content and quality. A content analysis of four newspapers owned by publicly held companies and four owned by privately held companies found few differences in the mix of subjects provided. As a group, however, the publicly owned papers published slightly more content about civic life than did the private papers and offered readers more staff-produced content.
When English Will Not Do: Non-Substitutability of Advertising for Foreign Language Television Advertisers in the U.S. • Amy Jo Coffey, University of Florida • Substitutability is often the focus of media competition debates. This study tested the substitutability of English and non-English television advertising inventory among U.S. foreign language advertisers (N=216). Advertisers overwhelmingly (90%) indicated that they did not consider English-language television as an acceptable substitute for foreign language television. While scholars have examined media substitutability from many angles, this is the first known academic study to examine substitutability on the basis of language, a topic of recent debate.
Coverage and Editorial Framing of the FCC’s 2003 Relaxation of Media Ownership Rules: A Comparison of the Cross-Owners and the Print Purists • Rita Colistra, University of North Carolina • This paper examines editorial coverage and framing of the FCC’s 2003 review of media ownership rules by ownership situation. Findings suggest that companies that did not stand to benefit provided significantly more and more negative editorial coverage, while those that stood to benefit provided significantly more positive editorial coverage of the proposed relaxation of rules. Thus, financial interests of media owners may affect editorial coverage of issues that could potentially affect their company’s bottom line.
Media Entrepreneurship: Missionaries And Merchants • Anne Hoag and Ben Compaine, Penn State University • Despite concerns over media concentration, recent scholarship suggests most media sectors enjoy a high degree of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship research assumes actors, no matter the industry, seek the same rewards. A grounded theory approach was used to discover attributes of the “individual-opportunity nexus” that may be unique to media entrepreneurs. Categories emerged from interview data suggesting uniqueness. Media entrepreneurs can be classified as either “missionaries” or “merchants.” Encouraging prospects for a healthy media sector are discussed.
Real Business And Real Competition In the Unreal World • J. Sonia Huang, University of Texas at Austin • Online gaming in North America is a $1.1+ billion industry. In this study, I adopted a real-world market structure analysis to one of the most popular online games – Second Life – to examine the concentration level of the largest businesses in-world. CR4/CR8 ratios indicated the Second Life market is nearly perfect competition, rarely encountered in the real world.
Multitasking And Audience Economics: Quality Of Exposure For Audio Media, Television, And The Internet Audiences • Se-Hoon Jeong, University of Pennsylvania • Multitasking with media is defined as an audience behavior that combines media use with another non-media activity. Identifying the extent to which audiences engage in multitasking while using various media can be important to assess the quality of exposure when using the media. This research found that although audiences spend less time with the Internet than with television or audio media, they multitask less when they use the Internet or television than when they use audio media.
What New York Times Co. v. Tasini Teaches Newspaper Managers And Freelancers About Cooperation: An Economic Analysis Of How To Resolve The “Prisoner’s Dilemma” In Copyright Transactions for U.S. Newspapers • Kevin Kemper, University of Arizona • Freelance journalists and managers of U.S. newspapers transact contracts about copyright and publication. Even after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in New York Times Co. v. Tasini, the transactions often are not as mutually profitable as they could be. Newspapers, with superior bargaining power, have been known to win at the expense of freelancers. This paper discusses three basic strategies for the parties to break out of the “prisoner’s dilemma” and to cooperate for profit.
The Deployment of Third-Generation Mobile Services: A Multinational Analysis of Contributing Factors • Sangwon Lee, Sylvia Chan-Olmsted and Heejung Kim, University of Florida • The provision of advanced video services via the mobile platform will be impossible without the successful diffusion of 3G mobile systems. The current deployment of such services is significantly more advanced in some countries than others. Through an analysis of 55 countries, this study explores the factors affecting such differences. It was found that multiple standardization policy, lower pricing, and a higher level of information/communication technology infrastructure contribute to the diffusion of 3G mobile.
The Emergence of Mobile Virtual Network Operators: An Examination of the Strategy and Success Factors in the Global MVNO Market • Sangwon Lee, Sylvia Chan-Olmsted and Hsiao-Hui Ho, University of Florida • To assess the strategy adopted by MVNOs and the issues that have affected the development of the mobile market, this study analyzes the MNVO sector from two perspectives: exogenous factors including the consumer, industry, regulation, and technology characteristics and generic strategies adopted by successful MVNOs. While cost leadership was found to be most prevalent initially, MVNOs are applying multiple generic strategies as the industry becomes more complex.
Framing Newsroom Culture: A Metaphor Analysis Of The Media Reporting On The Jack Kelley Scandal at USA Today • Sarah Ling Wei Lee, Western Michigan University • The purpose of this paper is to explore how the media reports on itself, more specifically the sensemaking and framing of newsroom culture through news stories. Sixteen popular press articles on the 2004 Jack Kelley media scandal was selected to study how journalists made sense of the fiasco and also frame it into their news stories, specifically in terms of using the metaphor of culture and fear.
Determinants of Cable System Diversification into Pay-per-view, High-speed Internet Access, and Telephony • Fang Liu, University of North Texas • Systems owned by multiple system operators are more likely to diversify into PPV, systems with larger basic subscriber bases are more likely to diversify into PPV and high-speed internet access service, systems operating in franchise areas with more broadcast television stations are more likely to diversify into PPV and high-speed internet access service, and systems operating in franchise areas with more high-speed internet service providers are less likely to diversify into high-speed internet access service.
Predictors Of The Video Window And Financial Performance Of Motion Pictures In The Home Video Market • Fang Liu, University of North Texas • This study examines predictors of the video window and financial performance of motion pictures in the home video market. Two-stage least squares analysis shows that box-office gross, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rating (G and R), and year of theatrical release were significant predictors of the video window, and box office gross, MPAA rating (G, PG, and R), and the video window were significant predictors of financial performance of motion pictures in the home video market.
News Need Marketing Management Model: An Explorative Study • Tayo Oyedeji and Esther Thorson, University of Missouri-Columbia • This study presents a marketing management model for news media outlets. The model highlights the importance of meeting news audiences’ needs and proffers a way for media managers to decide on the formats of their news and the specific news areas to focus on. Data from the 2004 Media Consumption Survey were analyzed to (a) identify and classify audiences by their news needs, (b) explain the demographic characteristics of each audience type, and (c) predict audiences’ news delivery preference.
Capital and Control: Consequences of Different Forms of Newspaper Ownership • Robert Picard and Aldo van Weezel, Jönköping International Business School, Sweden • Debates over the effects and efficacy of different forms of newspaper ownership are rising. This paper elucidates the debates by exploring private, public, not-for-profit, and employee ownership using economic and managerial theory about ownership and control of enterprises. It shows the managerial and economic conditions that emerge under the different forms of ownership, their implications, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. The paper concludes that there is no perfect form of newspaper ownership.
Acculturation and Media Preference: Exploring the Popularity of English-Language Television Programs among Latino Audiences in the U.S Paola • Prado and Walter McDowell, University of Miami • Although the dramatic increase in the Latino consumer market in the U.S is no secret, a false impression fostered by Latino media is that these audiences can be reached only through Spanish-language programming. Results from this four-market exploratory ratings study contradict this misconception. A substantial portion of Latino audiences watch English-language prime-time television programming.
Beyond Satisfaction: Journalists Doubt Career Intentions As Organizational Support Diminishes And Job Satisfaction Declines • Scott Reinardy, Ball State University • A survey (N = 715) examined organizational and life issues that affect overall job satisfaction of daily newspaper journalists. Perceived organizational support and social support create satisfaction, and work-family conflict, role overload and job demands influence dissatisfaction. Additionally, 25.7 percent of journalists in this study said they intend to leave newspaper journalism. Primarily, journalists intending to leave the profession are frustrated with fundamental issues that comprise an enjoyable work environment – support and encouragement.
Determinants of Motion Picture Piracy: A Cross-Country Examination • Cunfang Ren, University of Georgia • Most cross country piracy studies have focused on software piracy. This study expands current literature in exploring the best predictors of the motion picture piracy rate across nations. It found that income, education, market size, IP protection and culture all influence a country’s piracy rate. Among them, national income and culture as measured by power distance play the most significant roles in predicting the piracy rate of a country.
Blogging from the Labor Perspective: Lessons for Media Managers • Brad Schultz and Mary Lou Sheffer, University of Mississippi • This study focused on the implementation of new media technology from a journalist perspective by applying a theoretical model of organizational response to blogging. Data indicated a pessimistic attitude about blogging on the part of journalists, and a gulf between management and labor in terms of communication, shared vision and feedback related to blogging implementation. Implications in terms of the effectiveness of implementation and proactive managerial strategies were discussed.
Cable Consolidation and Deployment of Advanced Broadband Service • Sangho Seo, Konkuk University, Korea • The study examines consolidation in the U.S. cable industry in terms of deployment of advanced broadband services in local markets. This study examines whether horizontal integration in the cable industry leads to investments in new technologies, and results in deployment of advanced broadband services in local markets. Larger and more powerful MSOs limitedly transfer efficiency to deployment of advanced broadband services in local markets; therefore, the implications of the efficiency of horizontal integration do not have significant meaning.
Microeconomic Factors Influencing The Online Distribution Of News: A Theoretical Approach • Stephen Siff, Ohio University • Several theoretical qualities of news affect the operation of the market for online news and news pricing strategies. This essay views news as a special category of intellectual property and explores the impact of copyright law, competition and substitutability on the online news market. Theoretical aspects of the news product are used to explain apparently contradictory strategies pursued by leading newspapers online.
A Competency Framework To Improve Management In South Africa’s Mainstream Media Newsrooms • Elanie Steyn and Derik Steyn, North-West University, South Africa • Changed landscapes in South Africa post-1994 challenge the media to manage newsroom staff differently. Media managers must thus be knowledgeable in six managerial competencies (communication, planning and administration, strategic action, teamwork, global awareness, and self-management) implemented through the proposed newsroom management framework. The need for this framework is motivated by quantitative and qualitative findings that South African first-line news managers lack skills related to all six competencies.
Self-Management As A Managerial Competency: Differences Between Media And Ownership Types In South African Mainstream Media • Elanie Steyn and Derik Steyn, North-West University, South Africa • This paper outlines the dimensions of self-management as a managerial competency in transitional mainstream media newsrooms in South Africa. It highlights differences on the importance and implementation of this competency, given media management transformation in a post-apartheid society. Moderately and practically significant effect sizes were calculated between reporter and first-line manager respondents across media types and media ownership types, emphasizing the need to improve first-line news managers’ self-management skills in efforts to improve professional newsroom output.
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