Eye Balls

Fighting for Eyeballs

It is 2098. The information age is now more than 100 years old. After rounds of consolidation and restructuring, the news media has now been split into three major blocs (Party-Liners, Blickerers, and Blanders) with a few marginalized blocs. The competition in the industry is cutthroat, and all three major blocs are aiming at gaining the attention of as many eyeballs as possible.

(1) (40 points)

As part of its drive to achieve world domination, the Party-Liners decide to pursue the “bigger is stronger” idea, and look to acquire another bloc. Despite initial hesitation, they have come to focus on the Blanders bloc as their target.

Perhaps great minds do think alike, the Blickerers are also pursuing the Blanders at the same time. The Blanders now needs to decide whether to join the Party-Liners or the Blickerers. And in considering which camp to join, the consultants for the Blanders decide to first consider the cultures of the two camps and themselves. People in the Blanders bloc believe that, as the weaker partner in either case, they will have to adjust to the dominant partner’s culture. So it is likely that the Blanders will choose to join the camp that requires fewer adjustments. Refer to Appendix 1, and explain which camp will likely be favored by the Blanders.

Please also identify and explain three of the cultural adjustments that the Blanders are expecting to make if the acquisition you expect above takes place.

Cultural differences aside, please identify and explain three possible sources of resistance to change in the Blanders if the acquisition you expect above takes place.

(2) (40 points)

Suppose Party-Liners are fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to have acquired the Blanders. Unbeknownst to the Party-Liners, the regulations in the Blanders bloc are very lax, and poor quality news reporting is frequent. And as fate would have it, recent reports provided by the Blanders’ media outlets spread inaccurate...