From Wales to Hollywood: Patterns of ownership and control

Media ownership relates to who owns and therefore controls the media products, services and companies.
Control determines the nature of media content, including its purpose, the messages it delivers, and its intended audience.
In a global context, media ownership and control is largely dominated by a small number of powerful multinational corporations. These corporations own a vast swath of different companies across film, TV, print, music, and digital platforms, creating a complex web of cross-ownership.

Patterns of ownership often refer to the degree to which media industries are owned by few or many entities. Large media corporations often have horizontal integration (owning companies across various forms of media) and vertical integration (owning all stages of production and distribution process).
A high degree of concentration within media ownership can lead to media homogenisation, where the variety of content is reduced due to similar content being distributed across multiple platforms.
Another pattern to consider is transnational ownership, where media corporations own businesses and distribute content globally. This determines how media narratives, values and ideologies are spread worldwide.

Changes in ownership can significantly influence editorial content and broadcasting choices.
These decisions affect the quality and variety of media content, and may be primarily driven by profit rather than creative or journalistic quality.
Cultural imperialism is a significant implication of concentrated and transnational media ownership, where media from one dominant culture impacts others around the world.

Exploring the trajectory of a specific media product, service or individual can illustrate these abstract concepts. For example, a Welsh actor’s path to Hollywood could serve as a practical example to study media ownership and control.
Consider the narratives, values, and ideologies represented in this actor’s work and how these might be influenced by the various industries and companies involved.
Analyse how the actor’s career progression is shaped by larger forces within the media industry, such as the push for international recognition, and the move from smaller, local productions to larger, Hollywood-backed projects.

Compare the actor’s work in different contexts - the independent Welsh film industry and the mainstream Hollywood cinema.
Discuss any changes in the actor’s roles, genres and the associated narratives and messages.
This comparison will help illustrate the real-life impact of media ownership and control on content production, distribution and reception.