Join Professor Rodney Benson at the Stockholm School of Economics on November 24 for a seminar on his book How Media Ownership Matters. Drawing on research from the United States, Sweden, and France, Benson will examine how different forms of media ownership influence journalism and democratic debate.
Who owns the news, and why does it matter?
Who owns and funds the media can affect what journalists cover, whose voices are heard, and how news organizations serve the public.
In How Media Ownership Matters (Oxford University Press, 2025), Rodney Benson and his co-authors Mattias Hessérus, Timothy Neff, and Julie Sedel examine how ownership shapes journalism. Their research draws on more than 100 interviews with news executives and editors, industry data, and an analysis of more than 50 news outlets in the United States, Sweden, and France.
The book identifies four forms of ownership: market, private, civil society, and public. It explores how these forms, together with funding models and audiences, influence public service journalism, political partisanship, and the promotion of owners' economic interests.
About the seminar
Rodney Benson will present the book's central findings in a talk of approximately 30 minutes. Mattias Hessérus, co-author of the book, will then offer a short commentary. The seminar will conclude with questions and discussion with participants.
Rodney Benson
Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication, New York University
Rodney Benson is Professor in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University, with a courtesy appointment in Sociology. His research examines media ownership, journalism, and comparative media systems. He is also the author of Shaping Immigration News: A French-American Comparison, which has received several academic awards.
Mattias Hessérus
Director, Ax:son Johnson Institute for Statecraft and Diplomacy
Mattias Hessérus is a historian and Director of the Ax:son Johnson Institute for Statecraft and Diplomacy. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. His research spans applied history, media and information policy, and statecraft. He is a co-author of How Media Ownership Matters.
How Media Ownership Matters
Oxford University Press, 2025
Does it matter who owns and funds the media? As journalists and management consultants set off in search of new business models, there's a pressing need to understand anew the economic underpinnings of journalism and its role in democratic societies. How Media Ownership Matters provides a fresh approach to understanding news media power, moving beyond the typical emphasis on market concentration or media moguls. Through a comparative analysis of the US, Sweden, and France, as well as interviews of news executives and editors and an original collection of industry data, this book maps and analyzes four ownership models: market, private, civil society, and public. Highlighting the effects of organizational logics, funding, and target audiences on the content of news, the authors identify both the strengths and weaknesses various forms of ownership have in facilitating journalism that meets the democratic ideals of reasoned, critical, and inclusive public debate. Ultimately, How Media Ownership Matters provides a roadmap to understanding how variable forms of ownership are shaping the future of journalism and democracy.
The book was a finalist for the 2026 International Journal of Press/Politics Hazel Gaudet-Erskine Best Book Award and the 2026 Frank Luther Mott/Kappa Tau Alpha Research Award.
