Tuesday, September 4, 2012

For whom is the creative destruction in media?


As I read the book chapter by Kung et al., I paid attention to one of  the concepts in evolutionary economics. The term ‘Creative Destruction’, which was derived from Marxist economic theory, was adapted by the Austrian-American economist Joseph Schumpeter and popularized as a theory of economic innovation and the business cycle in these days. According to Marx, the devaluation of wealth during capitalism's periodic economic crises was an inevitable outcome of the processes of wealth creation. Schumpeter, by contrast, seems to think that the creation comes first and the destruction is an almost incidental effect of the creation. Anyhow, it is assumed that they are bound up each other like Hindu god Shiva, who has the paradoxical aspect of simultaneous destroyer and creator.
Obviously, the next wave of creative destruction in media is currently underway as well. New media is defining a new era of business. However, Kung et al. insinuate that the element of monopoly is essential for innovation. If so, for whom is the creative destruction in media intended? Is it desirable to promote monopolistic structure for increasing competitiveness of technological innovation in media market by reason that monopolistic firms can readily finance innovation?

This article, which is about a book, may offer one of the various viewpoints on creative destruction and competition in media industry.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704429304574467100596288512.html

"The consumer, not the producer, is the beneficiary of greater competition"

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