Economics of communication
A.A. 2019/2020
Obiettivi formativi
The course aims to provide students the economic instruments for the analysis of the areas of communication and their specific problems with regard to competition, business strategies and public policies. This course is organized with a survey of economic issues in communication and cultural industries. It examines some of the special aspects of these businesses that complicate the market processes, such as the particular nature of demand for experience goods, pricing strategy, scale economies and obstacles to market equilibrium that motivate public policy.
The course will analyze several industries to provide an overview of the markets for different kinds of information goods. We will use the tools of microeconomics and of industrial economics to provide insights about features and processes that explain the specific outcomes observed in the markets for experience goods, cultural goods and information goods.
The course will analyze several industries to provide an overview of the markets for different kinds of information goods. We will use the tools of microeconomics and of industrial economics to provide insights about features and processes that explain the specific outcomes observed in the markets for experience goods, cultural goods and information goods.
Risultati apprendimento attesi
At the end of the course students should have developed the ability to understand economic dimensions of cultural and communication industries, the knowledge of the main specific economic tool used in this context and the comprehension of competition and regulation of this particular area of economic activities.
Critical and judgment skills will be developed through policy discussions and the analysis of specific cases.
The practical work on a case study will be useful to develop the ability to communicate what has been learned and to refine critical and judgment skills.
Critical and judgment skills will be developed through policy discussions and the analysis of specific cases.
The practical work on a case study will be useful to develop the ability to communicate what has been learned and to refine critical and judgment skills.
Periodo: Primo trimestre
Modalità di valutazione: Esame
Giudizio di valutazione: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Corso singolo
Questo insegnamento non può essere seguito come corso singolo. Puoi trovare gli insegnamenti disponibili consultando il catalogo corsi singoli.
Programma e organizzazione didattica
Edizione unica
Responsabile
Periodo
Primo trimestre
STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI
Programma
Industries examinated will include:
· Movie business: the project nature of production, vertical integration, specific contingent contract
· Music and publishing with emphasis on intellectual property
· Television and radio and the fundamental differences between public and private broadcasting market
· Art market
· Live performances
· Museum and cultural heritage
· Book publishing
Main economic topics include: Production and costs (fixed and variable); Demand and elasticity; Perfect competition and monopoly;
Oligopoly; Vertical integration; Market definition and concentration; Windowing and price discrimination; Definition of media markets; Two sided market. Barriers to entry; Collusion and price war; Differentiation and Pricing; Advertising and competition; Public policy and antitrust .
Topics more related to the economics of cultural sector are: Costs desease, Team production, Subsidies in cultural sector, Merit goods, Principal agent model, Copyright and piracy, Transaction cost theory of the firm, Product novelty and perceived risk, nobody knows, Search and information costs: gate keepers and critics, network effects, bandwagon and snowball
· Movie business: the project nature of production, vertical integration, specific contingent contract
· Music and publishing with emphasis on intellectual property
· Television and radio and the fundamental differences between public and private broadcasting market
· Art market
· Live performances
· Museum and cultural heritage
· Book publishing
Main economic topics include: Production and costs (fixed and variable); Demand and elasticity; Perfect competition and monopoly;
Oligopoly; Vertical integration; Market definition and concentration; Windowing and price discrimination; Definition of media markets; Two sided market. Barriers to entry; Collusion and price war; Differentiation and Pricing; Advertising and competition; Public policy and antitrust .
Topics more related to the economics of cultural sector are: Costs desease, Team production, Subsidies in cultural sector, Merit goods, Principal agent model, Copyright and piracy, Transaction cost theory of the firm, Product novelty and perceived risk, nobody knows, Search and information costs: gate keepers and critics, network effects, bandwagon and snowball
Informazioni sul programma
The course explores economic concepts and communication industries with traditional lectures and policy discussions. The topics range from presentation of economic tools to industry analysis of sectors producing cultural good and communication services. A special semirar is dedicated to news production challenges in digital environment. We will discuss traditional media crisis, new possible business model, different strategies for digital, presenting several experiences in different countries.
Attendant students will produce individually a case study on the digital transformation of a specific media outlet.
Attendant students will produce individually a case study on the digital transformation of a specific media outlet.
Propedeuticità
In order to follow the course the student must have:
Some basic economic ideas about supply and demand; competition and monopoly
Some knowledge of media organizations and markets. Information products
Some familiarity with graphs and curve representations
Some basic economic ideas about supply and demand; competition and monopoly
Some knowledge of media organizations and markets. Information products
Some familiarity with graphs and curve representations
Prerequisiti
There will be a written exam with 8 open questions with short answers
Materiale di riferimento
STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI
The reading list includes:
Ruth Towse, 2013, A textbook of Cultural economics, Cambridge University Press; chapters: 2, 3, 4, 5 6, 7,8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15,16, 17, 18
Lipczinski, Wilson Goddard, 2013, Industrial organization: Competition, Strategy and Policy, Pearson; pages 30-60, 61-79, 159-164, 171-172, 174-176, 179-188, 191-200, 203-210, 214-232 (excluding224), 234-246, 253-261, 367-393, 439-445, 447-454, 472-484, 490-504, 571-595, 601-615 669-694, 698-731.
George Brock, 2013, Out of print, Kogan Page Limited London; chapters: 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10
Evan, Schmalensee, The industrial organization of market with two sided platform , downlodable papers https://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/Evans_and_Schmalensee_-_Two_Sided_Markets.pdf
Canoy M, J. van Ours, F.van der Ploeg, 2007, The economics of books, downlodable paper http://www.cesifo-group.de/ifoHome/publications/working-papers/CESifoWP/CESifoWPdetails?wp_id=14558993
Christopherson S., M.Storper, The effects of flexible specialization on industrial politics and the labour market: the motion picture industry, dowlodable paper http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2523392?uid=2&uid=4&sid=21104453971041
Ruth Towse, 2013, A textbook of Cultural economics, Cambridge University Press; chapters: 2, 3, 4, 5 6, 7,8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15,16, 17, 18
Lipczinski, Wilson Goddard, 2013, Industrial organization: Competition, Strategy and Policy, Pearson; pages 30-60, 61-79, 159-164, 171-172, 174-176, 179-188, 191-200, 203-210, 214-232 (excluding224), 234-246, 253-261, 367-393, 439-445, 447-454, 472-484, 490-504, 571-595, 601-615 669-694, 698-731.
George Brock, 2013, Out of print, Kogan Page Limited London; chapters: 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10
Evan, Schmalensee, The industrial organization of market with two sided platform , downlodable papers https://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/Evans_and_Schmalensee_-_Two_Sided_Markets.pdf
Canoy M, J. van Ours, F.van der Ploeg, 2007, The economics of books, downlodable paper http://www.cesifo-group.de/ifoHome/publications/working-papers/CESifoWP/CESifoWPdetails?wp_id=14558993
Christopherson S., M.Storper, The effects of flexible specialization on industrial politics and the labour market: the motion picture industry, dowlodable paper http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2523392?uid=2&uid=4&sid=21104453971041
Materiale di riferimento
the reading list for not attendant student is the same than for attendant students
SECS-P/06 - ECONOMIA APPLICATA - CFU: 9
Lezioni: 60 ore
Docenti:
Gambaro Marco, Lindner Claudio
Turni:
-
Docenti:
Gambaro Marco, Lindner ClaudioDocente/i
Ricevimento:
giovedì dalle 10,30 alle 12,30; giovedì 29 maggio e giovedì 5 giugno il ricevimento è sospeso.
DEMM stanza 20