English 201 Madsen Research Guide: Media Landscape & Economics

• A small number of companies control media production in the United States (consolidation)
• Content can be published directly by creators, without an editorial or review process (disintermediation)
• Difficult to differentiate between types of content--ads versus entertainment e.g.
• Difficult to discern the purpose of the information
• Difficult to evaluate sources as basic information, such as author or creator and date published, is frequently absent

(ALA 16-18)

Hong, Sounman, and Nayeong Kim. “Will the Internet Promote Democracy? Search Engines, Concentration of Online News Readership, and e-Democracy.” Journal of Information Technology & Politics, vol. 15, no. 4, Oct. 2018, pp. 388–399.

These 6 corporations control 90% of the media outlets in America. The illusion of choice and objectivity.
By Nickie Louise, TECH STARTUPS

Using Evaluation Criteria
    Library guide page on applying a set of standards to information sources to help you judge their credibility and relevancy.