賴祥蔚

Weber H. W. Lai

公共財 ； 外部性 ； 貝克 ； 媒介經濟學 ； 雙元市場

media economics ； dual market ； externality ； public good ； Baker

媒介經濟學一向以來較少受到關注，是因為有其特性。這些特性的內涵如何？對於閱聽人有什麼影響？政策又應該如何回應？這是一連串值得探討的問題。雖然Coase(1965)與Gomery(1993)等經濟與傳播學者都早已強調媒介經濟學有助於政策擬定，應該位居傳播研究的核心；Wildman(2008)也呼籲加強這方面的研究，但既有文獻很少結合媒介經濟學分析去擬定回應的政策。就此而論，Baker(2002)的《傳媒、市場與民主》(Media, Market, and Democracy)一書被認為是「迄今可能最為詳細完善的鋪陳與討論」。本文試著先簡單回顧媒介經濟學的特性，從而探討Baker對此的主張。

Scholars in communications as well as economists have devoted relatively little attention to the distinctive characteristics of media economics. What are characteristics of media economics? How are audiences affected by these characteristics? And what are appropriate public policy responses? Coase (1965) and Gomery (1993) emphasized the need for media economics in the establishment of policy regarding media and stressed that this should form the core of study into communications; however, Wildman (2008) insisted that further research was required. Few studies have examined the connection between media economics and media policy. Baker (2002) is recognized as having produced the most complete and detailed discussion entitled, Media, Markets, and Democracy. In this paper, we review the characteristics of Media Economics provided in previous papers with a particular focus on the content of Baker's advocacy.