The Media as a Driver of Information Society

This book presents a collection of some of the papers presented at the 8th World Media Economics and Management Conference in Lisbon in 2008. Chapters deal with how companies are adjusting to the current environment, how they are integrating the new technologies, and how they are creating strategies to overcome difficulties that are appearing in those media that are most dependent on oil and gasoline, and other resources for distribution.

The conference organizers received a record number of submissions and the conference included more papers than ever before because the area of media economics and management has been growing very strongly in the last twenty five years. The importance of the discipline is understood and universities are increasingly offering courses on this subject. This book presents papers representing the range of topics and perspectives conveyed in presentations and discussions.

As chairman of the World Media Economics and Management Conferences, I was delighted by Media XXI agreed to publish this compilation. It was more than we expected from them. They were an outstanding host at the Lisbon conference, providing attendees not only a rigorous scholarly experience, but a delightful introduction to Portuguese culture and life.