University of Cologne 

Globalisation increases the efficiency of media production. This benefits media companies, the consumers (viewers, listeners, and readers) of media products, and the states in which media companies reside. On the other hand, it intensifies economic pressure to provide mainstream programming and it reduces the diversity of media content. This disadvantages minorities by diminishing their opportunities to participate in national and international public communication and, in turn, reduces the coherence and flexibility of nations while increasing the risk that communities and nations which feel excluded from public discourse lose the ability to influence public decisions and to accept the results of public decision making. This silencing of minority voices and weakening of their communal fabric may lead to separatism, and even terrorism. Preventing this requires broad and inclusive public communication, among communities and minorities within states, and international dialogue among the nations of the world. This can be achieved in two ways: by regulating to mitigate the harsh economic rules of media markets and by strengthening the voice of non-commercial media, such as public service broadcasting, community broadcasting and non-commercial online services. Also new digital services (like websites provided by individuals or non-profit organisations, web-locks, and electronic newspapers) that can be produced and distributed with low costs may increase the variety of media content, and thus may counteract the negative consequences of mainstream programming. On the other side, also these new digital services are exposed to the economic rules; and after an initial period of high intrinsic motivation, many of these new services disappear or become mainstream-oriented, too. Thus also for them regulations that mitigate the economic rules or strengthen a non-commercial provision are appropriate.

Table of Contents:

1. Globalisation of Media Markets: Higher Efficiency - Higher Welfare
2. Globalisation of Media Markets: More Market Power and More (Uncontrolled) Political Power
3. Globalisation of Media Markets - Reduced Diversity
4. Reduced Diversity of Media Markets Jeopardizes Public Communication Within Nations
5. Reduced Diversity of Media Markets Jeopardizes Public Communication Among Nations
6. Winners and Losers of a Globalisation of Media Markets
7. Can new digital Services Prevent the Decline of Public Communication?
8. Summary