¿Quién controlará la Comunicación? El impacto de los GAFAM sobre las industrias mediáticas en el entorno de la economía digital

Juan Carlos Miguel de Bustos; Jessica  Izquierdo-Castillo

doi:10.4185/RLCS-2019-1358

Authors

Juan Carlos Miguel de Bustos University of the Basque Country http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9507-7219
Jessica Izquierdo-Castillo Jaime I University http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5037-1040

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2019-1358

Keywords:

Digital economy, Internet, ecosystem, media, GAFAM

Abstract

Introduction. The media ecosystem is governed by a new economy where traditional media are losing their hegemonic position to technologic companies. Despite the growing presence of these companies in media products and services, there are few academic studies examining their transformation from a structural perspective. Methods. This article provides a complete analysis of the Internet giants Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft (GAFAM), which allows us to assess their impact on the media. Based on the review of scientific literature, the specialised press and corporate and institutional reports, the article examines the increasing connection between GAFAM and media content, as well as their capacity to establish patterns that shape the future development of the cultural and creative industries in the digital economy. Results. The results confirm that GAFAM play a central role in the digital economy and identify the key concepts of development for the media industries operating within this ecosystem.

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Author Biographies

Juan Carlos Miguel de Bustos, University of the Basque Country

Juan-Carlos Miguel-de-Bustos holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Philosophy, a PhD degree in Communication and Information Sciences, from the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU), and a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Grenoble.

Since 1987, Professor at the University of the Basque Country, where he teaches the economic aspects of the cultural industries (structure of the media system). Since 2005, Professor in the Audiovisual Communication Area.

Professor in doctoral courses offered by different departments of the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU). Visiting professor in different countries, in doctoral and master’s degree programmes.

His publications and research works are related to the analysis of structural changes in the media groups and public television networks. For several years his research work has focused on Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft: competence, privacy and content.

Jessica Izquierdo-Castillo, Jaime I University

Associate Professor at the Department of Communication Sciences of the Universitat Jaume I (UJI) of Castellón. Jessica Izquierdo-Castillo holds a bachelor’s degree in Audiovisual Communication, from the University of Valencia, and a bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a PhD degree in Audiovisual Communication, from the Universitat Jaume I (UJI).

Visiting researcher at the Université Paris 8, Unviersité Grenoble 3, Universitá Degli Studi di Firenze, University of Vienna, and City University of New York. Participant in different R&D projects, financed by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of the Government of Spain, the Government of Valencia and the Universitat Jaume I.

Author of the book El cine digital. La distribución y exhibición españolas ante el reto tecnológico (“Digital Cinema. Spanish distribution and exhibition in light of the technological challenge”, Madrid: Ediciones de las Ciencias Sociales, 2010). Co-editor of La crisis de la televisión pública. El caso de RTVV y los retos de una nueva gobernanza (“The crisis of public television. The case of RTVV and the challenges of a new governance”, Barcelona, Bellaterra, Castellón and Valencia: Aldea Global, 2015) and Los medios de comunicación públicos de proximidad en Europa (“Proximity public media in Europe”, Valencia: Tirant lo Blanch, 2017).

Author of several book chapters and many articles published in journals such as Journal of Media Business Studies, El Profesional de la Información, Journalism Practice and Revista Latina de Comunicación Social. His lines of research are the transformations of the digital media ecosystem, the role of public media in the convergent era and audiovisual content programming.

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