Newspaper Market Concentration, Competitive Pressure and Financial Performance: The Case of Finland

Abstract

In the midst of technological developments and changes in the behaviour of consumers and advertisers, media firms are responding by clustering and vertical integration, thus shaping media landscapes into an increasingly complex network, in which it is difficult to delineate between separate markets. This article describes and analyses the main factors and trends characterizing the development of the industry and reveals how competition and the institutional framework have developed during the last two decades. Using a case study of Finnish newspaper publishing, it shows notable challenges in its operational environment and identifies simultaneous changes in the intra-media and inter-media competitive pressures faced by daily and non-daily newspapers.

Key Words:

• competition
• networks
• market structure
• newspapers