Global Media Giants – serie

In this book, author Min Tang examines the political economy of the China-based leading global Internet giant, Tencent. Tracing the historical context and shaping forces, the book illuminates Tencent’s emergence as a joint creation of the Chinese state and transnational financial capital. Tencent reveals interweaving axes of power on different levels, particularly interactions between the global digital industry and contemporary China. The expansion strategies Tencent has employed—horizontal and vertical integration, diversification and transnationalization—speak to the intrinsic trends of capitalist reproduction and the consistent features of the political economy of communications. The book also pinpoints two emerging and entangling trends— transnationalization and financialization—as unfolding trajectories of the global political economy. Understanding Tencent’s dynamics of growth helps to clarify the complex nature of China’s contemporary transformation and the multifaceted characteristics of its increasingly globalized Internet industry. This short and highly topical research volume is perfect for students and scholars of of global media, political economy, and Chinese business, media and communication, and society.

Google is synonymous with searching, but in this innovative new research volume, Micky Lee explores how the Alphabet Corporation, now the parent company of Google, is more than just a search engine. Using a political economic approach, Lee draws on the concept of networks to investigate the growth of this key media player.The establishment of the parent company, Alphabet, shows the company is expanding to other industries from equity investment to self-driving cars. This book first examines this history of expansion, before delving into the economic, political, and cultural profiles of the corporation. Lee ultimately finds that what makes Google powerful is not one genius idea, but rather networks of people, places, and capital.Alphabet: The Becoming of Google is a compelling dive into the sometimes inscrutable world of Google, ideal for students, scholars, and researchers interested in the fields of digital media studies, the politics and economies of online media, and the history of the internet.

In one of the first English-language studies of Grupo Prisa, this book delivers a comprehensive and concise approach to the political, economic and social-cultural profile of one of the leading cross-media conglomerates in Europe, tracing its development from a single newspaper publisher in 1972. Prisa is now the world’s leading Spanish and Portuguese-language media group in the creation and distribution of content in the fields of culture, education, and information, producing content for more than twenty countries with global brands like El País (newspaper), Los 40 (radio), or Santillana (education). Using a critical political economy approach, the authors track Prisa’s journey to becoming a cross-media conglomerate, and examine how it mirrors the recent history of the economic and political developments in Spain.This concise and highly contemporary volume is ideal for students, scholars and researchers looking to further their understanding of a growing Spanish-language media power, or more generally interested in international communication and media industries.

Taking a political economy of media approach, this book examines Amazon as a significant actor in the global media landscape.Amazon is mainly conceived in the popular consciousness and media commentary as a corporate body, selling products and services to individual consumers and organisations, but Brevini and Swiatek show that Amazon has become a communication giant that trades in diversified media (its own and others), and exerts a significant influence on global communication, especially through its online services. Further, the authors provide evidence of Amazon's multiple influences on politics, economics, and culture.With its comprehensive and critical overview, this book is ideal for students, scholars, and researchers of media and communication studies and political economy.

Originally founded in 1889 as a manufacturer of playing cards, this book examines the history and political economic status of the multinational consumer electronics and video game giant Nintendo.This book offers a deeper examination into Nintendo as a global media giant, with some of the industry’s best-selling consoles and most recognizable intellectual property including Mario, Pokémon, and Zelda. Drawing upon the theory of the political economy of communication, which seeks to understand how communication and media serve as key mechanisms of economic and political power, Randy Nichols examines how Nintendo has maintained its dominance in the global video game industry and how it has used its position to shape that industry. This book argues that while the company’s key figures and main franchises are important, Nintendo’s impact as a company – and what we can learn from its evolution – is instructive beyond the video game industry. This book is perfect for students and scholars of media and cultural industries, critical political economy of media, production studies, and games studies.

In one of the first English-language studies of Grupo Prisa, this book delivers a comprehensive and concise approach to the political, economic and social-cultural profile of one of the leading cross-media conglomerates in Europe, tracing its development from a single newspaper publisher in 1972. Prisa is now the world’s leading Spanish and Portuguese-language media group in the creation and distribution of content in the fields of culture, education, and information, producing content for more than twenty countries with global brands like El País (newspaper), Los 40 (radio), or Santillana (education). Using a critical political economy approach, the authors track Prisa’s journey to becoming a cross-media conglomerate, and examine how it mirrors the recent history of the economic and political developments in Spain.This concise and highly contemporary volume is ideal for students, scholars and researchers looking to further their understanding of a growing Spanish-language media power, or more generally interested in international communication and media industries.

From its emergence as a modest newspaper to becoming the largest communication group in Argentina, and one of the main communications groups in Latin America, this book examines the media conglomerate Grupo Clarín.Guillermo Mastrini, Martín Becerra and Ana Bizberge analyze the group’s corporate structure and the aspects that have contributed to its expansion throughout its history, mapping its stages of growth to the regulatory policies, cultural politics, economics and political history of Argentina over the last few decades. This book offers a compelling analysis of one of the key players in the Latin American communication and information market, highlighting how the conglomerate has continued to grow under various different governments - by achieving legal reforms and influencing policies - and continues to have great capacity to influence the policy and regulation of the system, the market structure and cultural consumption in the region.This book is ideal for students, scholars and researchers of global media, political economy, and media and communication, especially those with an interest in Latin America.

From its emergence as a modest newspaper to becoming the largest communication group in Argentina, and one of the main communications groups in Latin America, this book examines the media conglomerate Grupo Clarín.Guillermo Mastrini, Martín Becerra and Ana Bizberge analyze the group’s corporate structure and the aspects that have contributed to its expansion throughout its history, mapping its stages of growth to the regulatory policies, cultural politics, economics and political history of Argentina over the last few decades. This book offers a compelling analysis of one of the key players in the Latin American communication and information market, highlighting how the conglomerate has continued to grow under various different governments - by achieving legal reforms and influencing policies - and continues to have great capacity to influence the policy and regulation of the system, the market structure and cultural consumption in the region.This book is ideal for students, scholars and researchers of global media, political economy, and media and communication, especially those with an interest in Latin America.

This book identifies and analyses the main socio-economic trends that characterize Vivendi, the French mass media conglomerate, and explores how they have oriented its development and evolution.Philippe Bouquillion explores the industrial, financial, globalization and public policy issues in the various sectors in which Vivendi is involved, paying particular attention to recorded music, pay television, publishing, video games, advertising and telecommunications. He examines Vivendi’s role as a key global player in the entertainment and cultural industries as a result of its established position as world number one in recorded music via Universal Music Group. He also highlights Vivendi’s involvement in various national markets, including their notable strategies in African markets and their significance in the telecommunications and television markets in Italy.This book will be of interest to students, scholars and researchers of global media, media and cultural industries, and political economy.

This book identifies and analyses the main socio-economic trends that characterize Vivendi, the French mass media conglomerate, and explores how they have oriented its development and evolution.Philippe Bouquillion explores the industrial, financial, globalization and public policy issues in the various sectors in which Vivendi is involved, paying particular attention to recorded music, pay television, publishing, video games, advertising and telecommunications. He examines Vivendi’s role as a key global player in the entertainment and cultural industries as a result of its established position as world number one in recorded music via Universal Music Group. He also highlights Vivendi’s involvement in various national markets, including their notable strategies in African markets and their significance in the telecommunications and television markets in Italy.This book will be of interest to students, scholars and researchers of global media, media and cultural industries, and political economy.

Taking a political economy of media approach, this book examines Amazon as a significant actor in the global media landscape.Amazon is mainly conceived in the popular consciousness and media commentary as a corporate body, selling products and services to individual consumers and organisations, but Brevini and Swiatek show that Amazon has become a communication giant that trades in diversified media (its own and others), and exerts a significant influence on global communication, especially through its online services. Further, the authors provide evidence of Amazon's multiple influences on politics, economics, and culture.With its comprehensive and critical overview, this book is ideal for students, scholars, and researchers of media and communication studies and political economy.

This book examines the political-economic dynamics in the development of a leading global Internet giant: Alibaba.As both a prominent example of, as well as providing the basic infrastructure for, China’s outward expansion, Alibaba demonstrates the complex interplay between different state agencies and units of capital in the context of the rise of global China. Hong Shen investigates the development and expansions of Alibaba and discusses how Alibaba has not only become a leader of China’s increasingly globalizing internet but has also increasingly served as a basic infrastructure model for other Chinese companies to go global. Shen also addresses how this process has been constantly shaped and reshaped by complex state-capital interactions along the way. This book shows how different units of capital, both inside and outside of China, have interacted with Alibaba’s developmental strategies and illustrates how different state agencies, both domestic and international, have enabled or constrained the company’s development, especially its global expansion. This book will appeal to students and scholars of critical political economy of media, global media and digital industries, communication, technology and society, and internet studies. It will also be relevant to policy-makers working in the arena of global internet and trade policies.

This book examines the political-economic dynamics in the development of a leading global Internet giant: Alibaba.As both a prominent example of, as well as providing the basic infrastructure for, China’s outward expansion, Alibaba demonstrates the complex interplay between different state agencies and units of capital in the context of the rise of global China. Hong Shen investigates the development and expansions of Alibaba and discusses how Alibaba has not only become a leader of China’s increasingly globalizing internet but has also increasingly served as a basic infrastructure model for other Chinese companies to go global. Shen also addresses how this process has been constantly shaped and reshaped by complex state-capital interactions along the way. This book shows how different units of capital, both inside and outside of China, have interacted with Alibaba’s developmental strategies and illustrates how different state agencies, both domestic and international, have enabled or constrained the company’s development, especially its global expansion. This book will appeal to students and scholars of critical political economy of media, global media and digital industries, communication, technology and society, and internet studies. It will also be relevant to policy-makers working in the arena of global internet and trade policies.

Originally founded in 1889 as a manufacturer of playing cards, this book examines the history and political economic status of the multinational consumer electronics and video game giant Nintendo.This book offers a deeper examination into Nintendo as a global media giant, with some of the industry’s best-selling consoles and most recognizable intellectual property including Mario, Pokémon, and Zelda. Drawing upon the theory of the political economy of communication, which seeks to understand how communication and media serve as key mechanisms of economic and political power, Randy Nichols examines how Nintendo has maintained its dominance in the global video game industry and how it has used its position to shape that industry. This book argues that while the company’s key figures and main franchises are important, Nintendo’s impact as a company – and what we can learn from its evolution – is instructive beyond the video game industry. This book is perfect for students and scholars of media and cultural industries, critical political economy of media, production studies, and games studies.

An in-depth exploration of the political economy of the Chinese technology company Baidu which, along with China’s other tech giants Alibaba and Tencent, has emerged as a leading global Internet company.Baidu – not Google – is the dominant search company in China, the largest Internet market in the world, whose impact on the political economy is no longer limited to China, but the broader global market, and in particular the US economy. This book outlines the intense competition within the search engine market and illustrates the inter-capitalist dynamic in the contemporary Chinese Internet sector, and highlights Baidu’s uniqueness on the global stage as it pivots to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and expands into other industrial sectors. ShinJoung Yeo offers a window into the intensifying geopolitical shaping of the global Internet industry, and the contention and collaboration among multinational firms and states to control the most dynamic capitalist economic sector – the Internet.An important and timely analysis for anyone interested in the political economy of the global media, communication, and information industries, and particularly those requiring a better understanding of the Internet industry in China.

An in-depth exploration of the political economy of the Chinese technology company Baidu which, along with China’s other tech giants Alibaba and Tencent, has emerged as a leading global Internet company.Baidu – not Google – is the dominant search company in China, the largest Internet market in the world, whose impact on the political economy is no longer limited to China, but the broader global market, and in particular the US economy. This book outlines the intense competition within the search engine market and illustrates the inter-capitalist dynamic in the contemporary Chinese Internet sector, and highlights Baidu’s uniqueness on the global stage as it pivots to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and expands into other industrial sectors. ShinJoung Yeo offers a window into the intensifying geopolitical shaping of the global Internet industry, and the contention and collaboration among multinational firms and states to control the most dynamic capitalist economic sector – the Internet.An important and timely analysis for anyone interested in the political economy of the global media, communication, and information industries, and particularly those requiring a better understanding of the Internet industry in China.

This book analyzes one of the largest media conglomerates worldwide, the Bertelsmann Corporation. Analyzing its history, its corporate divisions and international business relations, the book focuses on the dominant role of Bertelsmann in international media – and media services – in Europe, the U.S., Latin America, and China. Addressing a broad readership interested in issues of media ownership, journalism and policy work, this book shows how issues of media ownership and corporate power are closely connected to issues of beyond media, namely politics, consulting, services and financial transactions. The book also draws parallels to other major media conglomerates and their attempts to influence communication infrastructures and policies on national and international levels, helping readers to understand the broader structural relations and power mechanisms at play in the global media market. The book will be of interest primarily to scholars in the fields of global media studies, international communication studies, and the critical political economy of media and communication.

In this book, author Min Tang examines the political economy of the China-based leading global Internet giant, Tencent. Tracing the historical context and shaping forces, the book illuminates Tencent’s emergence as a joint creation of the Chinese state and transnational financial capital. Tencent reveals interweaving axes of power on different levels, particularly interactions between the global digital industry and contemporary China. The expansion strategies Tencent has employed—horizontal and vertical integration, diversification and transnationalization—speak to the intrinsic trends of capitalist reproduction and the consistent features of the political economy of communications. The book also pinpoints two emerging and entangling trends— transnationalization and financialization—as unfolding trajectories of the global political economy. Understanding Tencent’s dynamics of growth helps to clarify the complex nature of China’s contemporary transformation and the multifaceted characteristics of its increasingly globalized Internet industry. This short and highly topical research volume is perfect for students and scholars of of global media, political economy, and Chinese business, media and communication, and society.

Google is synonymous with searching, but in this innovative new research volume, Micky Lee explores how the Alphabet Corporation, now the parent company of Google, is more than just a search engine. Using a political economic approach, Lee draws on the concept of networks to investigate the growth of this key media player.The establishment of the parent company, Alphabet, shows the company is expanding to other industries from equity investment to self-driving cars. This book first examines this history of expansion, before delving into the economic, political, and cultural profiles of the corporation. Lee ultimately finds that what makes Google powerful is not one genius idea, but rather networks of people, places, and capital.Alphabet: The Becoming of Google is a compelling dive into the sometimes inscrutable world of Google, ideal for students, scholars, and researchers interested in the fields of digital media studies, the politics and economies of online media, and the history of the internet.

This book analyzes one of the largest media conglomerates worldwide, the Bertelsmann Corporation. Analyzing its history, its corporate divisions and international business relations, the book focuses on the dominant role of Bertelsmann in international media – and media services – in Europe, the U.S., Latin America, and China. Addressing a broad readership interested in issues of media ownership, journalism and policy work, this book shows how issues of media ownership and corporate power are closely connected to issues of beyond media, namely politics, consulting, services and financial transactions. The book also draws parallels to other major media conglomerates and their attempts to influence communication infrastructures and policies on national and international levels, helping readers to understand the broader structural relations and power mechanisms at play in the global media market. The book will be of interest primarily to scholars in the fields of global media studies, international communication studies, and the critical political economy of media and communication.

A comprehensive scholarly look at the dominance, power, and influence of News Corp as one of the most potent communication giants of current times.Drawing on a wealth of empirical evidence, this book offers an authoritative, wide-ranging, and accessible analysis of the development, operations, and political influence of the most widely commented on media company of modern times, directed by the world’s most famous media mogul, Rupert Murdoch. It details News Corp’s ownership and control, traces its global expansion in print, television, and film, examines the crises that have prompted sell-offs, withdrawals, and retrenchment, and explores losses and gains in its responses to the rise of digital media. The book explores Rupert Murdoch’s close relations with successive prime ministers and presidents, examines the mobilisation of his news outlets to make and break political reputations, and details the consistent promotion of right-wing populist ideology on a range of key issues across the company’s tabloid outlets.This is an invaluable resource to students and scholars of global media industries, the political economy of media, media policy, and media and politics.

A comprehensive scholarly look at the dominance, power, and influence of News Corp as one of the most potent communication giants of current times.Drawing on a wealth of empirical evidence, this book offers an authoritative, wide-ranging, and accessible analysis of the development, operations, and political influence of the most widely commented on media company of modern times, directed by the world’s most famous media mogul, Rupert Murdoch. It details News Corp’s ownership and control, traces its global expansion in print, television, and film, examines the crises that have prompted sell-offs, withdrawals, and retrenchment, and explores losses and gains in its responses to the rise of digital media. The book explores Rupert Murdoch’s close relations with successive prime ministers and presidents, examines the mobilisation of his news outlets to make and break political reputations, and details the consistent promotion of right-wing populist ideology on a range of key issues across the company’s tabloid outlets.This is an invaluable resource to students and scholars of global media industries, the political economy of media, media policy, and media and politics.

This is the first book of its kind to examine Schibsted, one of the largest traditional media and newspaper companies in the Nordic region, which is today considered a regional and international digital media pioneer.The book examines the rise and role of Schibsted - an early mover and proactive media company in terms of technology adoption, digitization, and online expansion - in its home region, along with its major international ventures. The book focuses on its position in the Nordic digital media landscape, one of the world’s most digitally mature media markets and most digitally networked region, which is today influenced by fierce competition from expanding global internet giants and platform infrastructure. Drawing on a wealth of sources, including original interviews with senior Schibsted executives, which allow unprecedented insight into the company, the book also details its digital expansion internationally, and particularly its pioneering role as originator of the world’s largest online classified advertising company.This book will be of interest to students and scholars of global media and communication studies, particularly those specializing in international communication and media industries in a global context.

This book examines the Nation Media Group (NMG), one of the few African media firms that occupies a commanding position in national and regional market economies.As a primer on the dynamics and complexity of media industries in African contexts, this book explores the interwoven relationship between commercial and state capitals in the African media industries through a case study analysis of NMG. The book analyses the structure and performance of NMG as a corporate business entity within the broader contexts of the political economy of the media and the logics of media capital. It also examines the state-media relationship, drawing on the NGM’s role in Kenya, against the backdrop of the civic role media institutions play in socio-political processes. In sum, the book provides a critical political economy analysis of NMG’s socio-economic, cultural, and political presence.This book will be of interest to students and scholars in the fields of media and communication studies, journalism studies, and the cultural and creative industries, as well as those in related fields such as African studies, political science, business, international development, and global studies.