Why study media ecosystems?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Much as ecology emerged from biology as scientists began studying the complex interactions between organisms in their environments, a shift is happening in communication and media studies regarding analysis of social media. The complex relationships between user-generated social media and professionally created news media are best understood as a complex media ecosystem with its own emergent behaviors that only become visible when studied from a perspective broader than considering a single medium in isolation. Some of the key debates regarding social media’s effects in spreading mis- and disinformation can be studied in richer ways by applying quantitative methods that integrate information across multiple types of media using a media ecosystem model. Understanding these characteristics of media ecosystems could help political parties, activists and others who depend on media to advance their messages.