Chapter 12 Chapter Overview

This chapter provides a summary of the various ideas and perspectives on media and communication considered in previous chapters, and it suggests future directions in the field. Media have shifted and changed as a result of technology and digitization, though they are also impacted by political, economic, social, and cultural forces.

Following the summary of the previous concepts explored in the textbook, the chapter looks at Chris Anderson’s book, The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More, which holds out the promise of a positive shift in media economics, whereby the digitization of cultural products renders economically viable the archiving and sale of an expanded range of media products. The chapter then questions whether a free market for cultural products is the best way to serve society, addressing the distinct economic characteristics of mass media texts. In an increasingly globalized world, the importance of nurturing and caring for distinctively Canadian ideas and values becomes increasingly important for media regulation to address.