Examining the impact of new media on the news media from the integrated viewpoint of media ecology and the political economy of communication

This dissertation combines the methodologies of media ecology and the political economy of communication to explore the dramatic decline in the news industry, accompanied by the growing public distrust in the news media.

The internet introduced more advanced platforms for news consumption and ad delivery, thereby depriving the news media of their former monopoly over news and advertising. The dissertation research identified a significant shift in the print media business model worldwide in the early 2010s: advertising revenue fell below the level of reader revenue (subscriptions and copy sales) for the first time in a century. Concurrently, all news media outlets transitioned online in efforts to establish digital modes of operation and revenue generation.

In transitioning from the advertising-funded model that was predominant throughout the 20th century, the print media, the primary focus of this dissertation, shifted towards prioritizing digital subscriptions. This led them to become increasingly dependent on digital audiences. Given that textual media (the press) have historically been the primary drivers of discourse in the public sphere, the significant changes in the press and the digital challenges faced by other forms of news media have had a profound impact on professional standards of journalism and the principles of discourse formation in society overall.

Connecting media ecology and the political economy of communication is an interdisciplinary approach that provides new angles for analyzing changes in the news media and journalism in the digital era. To advance this novelty, the dissertation employs a variety of methods from both media ecology and the political economy of communication.