The Media in Ireland: Concentration, Exclusion and Datafication

Contemporary Irish media are increasingly ubiquitous, mostly commercial, often internationally owned in part or whole, and largely ‘taken for granted’ (Share et al.:353). Locally produced media form only a small part of a much larger transnational information and entertainment market. This larger field includes computer companies offering new media forms such as social media and videogames. In this chapter we will focus on changes in the mass and hybrid media sectors following the financial crisis of 2008 in Ireland. It is common for textbooks to divide their analysis into three sections focusing on media production, content and audiences. In this chapter we take a broader approach and include examples of recent research on media production, representation, participation and policy. What is clear is that the economic crisis in 2008 precipitated significant changes in the media in Ireland and understanding these changes will enable us to better understand wider societal trends in politics, housing, social cohesion and identity construction