Media Industries in the Platformisation Landscape: Introspections, Iterations & Interventions

The accelerating platformisation of media industries represents a critical transformation reshaping production, distribution, and consumption processes across global communication ecosystems. This shift challenges traditional media business models, editorial autonomy, and journalistic practices, while raising critical questions around algorithmic governance, labour precarity, and cultural diversity. Van Dijck, Poell, and De Waal (2018) emphasise that platformisation entails a reconfiguration of power relations where global tech firms become gatekeepers, shaping news visibility and user behaviour, often prioritising engagement and ad revenue over journalistic values. Couldry and Mejias (2019) warn of “data colonialism,” where data extraction practices by platforms replicate colonial patterns of resource exploitation in media content and user data.

By convening diverse voices engaged in the study and practice of media platformisation, the conference aims to deepen understanding of How does platformisation reshape media production, editorial autonomy, and audience engagement, and what are the implications for journalistic integrity and cultural diversity? What strategies do media institutions and practitioners employ to adapt to, resist, or leverage platform logics while maintaining professional standards and diverse content? What regulatory frameworks and policy interventions can effectively balance innovation, accountability, and sustainability in media ecosystems dominated by platforms? And how can interdisciplinary collaboration among scholars, industry professionals, and policymakers address the socio-technical challenges posed by platform dominance in the media?

ICMAC 2026, the International Conference on Media and Communication, organised by the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Symbiosis International University, aims to address these important questions on the platformisation landscape. The conference aims to facilitate knowledge exchange on best practices and innovative models for media sustainability and equitable access in an increasingly platform-mediated communication environment. Outcomes are expected to inform policy debates on digital regulation, advance critical media literacy regarding platform influence, and strengthen capacity-building initiatives that empower journals and media workers to assert agency in platform ecosystems.