Co-operatives, media and journalism

Scoping review and conceptual delimitation

Abstract

Private ownership is central to the contemporary history of the media, but other models of governance have thrived on the margins of the industry. Recent shifts in the media sector, caused by a multi-factorial crisis, spur interest in these alternative structures, among which the co-operative stands out. This article identifies and characterizes the different types of co-operatively-owned journalistic organizations. Using the scoping review as a research method, we collect, select and examine academic and institutional texts. As a result of this analysis, we infer five types of co-op in the media business, which respond to the needs of a variety of actors: journalists, media, the public and the co-operative movement. Thus, the article contributes to conceptual clarification and provides a theoretical basis for the emerging field of study of co-operatives in media and journalism.