Mediatization

Mediatization as a theoretical and analytical concept has a relatively long history within communication studies. It can be roughly understood as a notion that combines efforts to describe and understand the role that media and media technologies have in shaping different aspects of the everyday life of individuals, organizations, fields, and societies. A common distinction concerns mediatization versus mediation. While the former seeks to capture the increasing social and cultural relevance of the media, the latter is preoccupied with communication processes per se. This entry further defines mediatization, discusses the four main theoretical approaches to mediatization, and considers mediatization as a framework for understanding change.

As discussions on media influences on social, political, cultural, and economic realities have gained in intensity since the 1990s, mediatization has ...