Management and economics of media and communication : history and definition of the field

Abstract

This introductory chapter will define the field by describing the management and economics of media and communication as an interdisciplinary perspective that applies economic theory and methodology to assess whether media organizations efficiently reach their respective objectives also beyond profit maximization. A brief and selective history of the field will be provided before the characteristics that constitute media as economic goods are introduced, and it is considered how this affects media functions. Furthermore, an outline of the chapters in this volume will be presented