Dealing with digital intermediaries: A case study of the relations between publishers and platforms
The rise of digital intermediaries such as search engines and social media is profoundly changing our media environment. Here, we analyze how news media organizations handle their relations to these increasingly important intermediaries. Based on a strategic case study, we argue that relationships b...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal article |
| Published: |
SAGE Publications
2017
|
| _version_ | 1797050887394295808 |
|---|---|
| author | Kleis Nielsen, R Ganter, S |
| author_facet | Kleis Nielsen, R Ganter, S |
| author_sort | Kleis Nielsen, R |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | The rise of digital intermediaries such as search engines and social media is profoundly changing our media environment. Here, we analyze how news media organizations handle their relations to these increasingly important intermediaries. Based on a strategic case study, we argue that relationships between publishers and platforms are characterized by a tension between (1) short-term, operational opportunities and (2) long-term strategic worries about becoming too dependent on intermediaries. We argue that these relationships are shaped by news media’s fear of missing out, the difficulties of evaluating the risk/reward ratios, and a sense of asymmetry. The implication is that news media that developed into an increasingly independent institution in the 20th century—in part enabled by news media organizations’ control over channels of communication—are becoming dependent upon new digital intermediaries that structure the media environment in ways that not only individual citizens but also large, resource-rich, powerful organizations have to adapt to. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T18:11:52Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:034e33dc-92e2-45c7-96fe-5d2205a59bd7 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T18:11:52Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | SAGE Publications |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:034e33dc-92e2-45c7-96fe-5d2205a59bd72022-03-26T08:45:25ZDealing with digital intermediaries: A case study of the relations between publishers and platformsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:034e33dc-92e2-45c7-96fe-5d2205a59bd7Symplectic Elements at OxfordSAGE Publications2017Kleis Nielsen, RGanter, SThe rise of digital intermediaries such as search engines and social media is profoundly changing our media environment. Here, we analyze how news media organizations handle their relations to these increasingly important intermediaries. Based on a strategic case study, we argue that relationships between publishers and platforms are characterized by a tension between (1) short-term, operational opportunities and (2) long-term strategic worries about becoming too dependent on intermediaries. We argue that these relationships are shaped by news media’s fear of missing out, the difficulties of evaluating the risk/reward ratios, and a sense of asymmetry. The implication is that news media that developed into an increasingly independent institution in the 20th century—in part enabled by news media organizations’ control over channels of communication—are becoming dependent upon new digital intermediaries that structure the media environment in ways that not only individual citizens but also large, resource-rich, powerful organizations have to adapt to. |
| spellingShingle | Kleis Nielsen, R Ganter, S Dealing with digital intermediaries: A case study of the relations between publishers and platforms |
| title | Dealing with digital intermediaries: A case study of the relations between publishers and platforms |
| title_full | Dealing with digital intermediaries: A case study of the relations between publishers and platforms |
| title_fullStr | Dealing with digital intermediaries: A case study of the relations between publishers and platforms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dealing with digital intermediaries: A case study of the relations between publishers and platforms |
| title_short | Dealing with digital intermediaries: A case study of the relations between publishers and platforms |
| title_sort | dealing with digital intermediaries a case study of the relations between publishers and platforms |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kleisnielsenr dealingwithdigitalintermediariesacasestudyoftherelationsbetweenpublishersandplatforms AT ganters dealingwithdigitalintermediariesacasestudyoftherelationsbetweenpublishersandplatforms |