Who we are
Media and Consolidation Research and Organization Lab
A scholarly community, research lab, and online resource about media ownership for instructors, students, journalists, regulators, and citizens.
The issue
Media production is increasingly consolidated and homogenized
Two to four corporations dominate in each sector, limiting the diversity and democratic potential of cultural production. Yet, access to data that reveals this state of affairs is limited—safeguarded by institutions that use various means to hamper public awareness.
Our mission
Facilitate awareness with access to critical data
MACRO Lab aims to provide accessible, critical materials and data about media consolidation, financialization, and operations. We aim to create a space for envisioning an alternative media system that is more just, equitable, and democratically accountable.
Our goal
Cultivate public demand for a more democratic media system
As a member of UCSD's Democracy Lab, we share its core values. By expanding knowledge about our media environment and promoting public participation in discourse around media and policy, we hope to foster the broad and sustained civic engagement fundamental to our ability to build a more democratic media system.
Our approach
To privilege the analysis of
Diversity
Bringing attention to the underlying structures that create a lack of diversity in media
History
Fostering a historical and empirical understanding of media production, circulation, and ownership
Complexity
Unraveling the intricacies of an increasingly complex media system resistant to transparency
Power
Challenging media consolidation and corporate strategies that fail both workers and the public
Our team
Principal Investigators
Shawna Kidman
Shawna is an associate professor at UCSD, who teaches courses in media studies. She is the author of Comic Books Incorporated (2019, UC Press), a history of the U.S. comic book industry and its convergence with Hollywood. She is currently writing about the movie theater business and its many struggles.
Researchers
Design and Development
