Towards macrosociology of media ownership: Taxonomy of media ownership patterns in European Union (EU) countries

Abstract

Media ownership significantly shapes organisational practices and journalistic content. While prior research has established ownership as a key influence on media output, less is known about the prevalence and systemic patterns of different ownership forms across European Union (EU) countries. This study addresses this gap by investigating how EU Member States cluster based on prevailing media ownership types in their news media spheres and how these groupings correspond with broader social, political, economic, and media system characteristics. Five ownership-based clusters emerge, each differing not only in ownership structure but also in contextual indicators such as media literacy, corruption perceptions, and the rule of law. The countries with high public and civil society ownership score high on these indicators, while media literacy is low, the rule of law weak, and corruption high where private individual ownership dominates. The findings contribute to on-going research on media ownership forms and comparative media studies.