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Censorship: the Key to Lock-In?

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Author Info
Brendan M. Cunningham () (United States Naval Academy)

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Abstract

Markets for information and entertainment are frequently characterized by increasing returns to scale in production and distribution. This implies that incumbent technologies enjoy an advantage over newcomer technologies; such markets can become locked into an inferior technology. Governments often heavily influence media markets through both direct ownership and censorship. I present a dynamic model with heterogeneity among consumers and firms in order to analyze the role of censorship in media markets. I assume there is a negative consumption externality across consumers and a negative cost spillover which an incumbent producer imposes on a newcomer. In a decentralized equilibrium, there is over-production of media from the incumbent technology. This reduces consumer utility and engenders lock-in of the inferior incumbent technology. I model censorship as a tax on information produced under the incumbent technology. A central planner who censors incumbent media can improve upon the decentralized equilibrium by reducing negative consumption externalities and unlocking the superior technology. I also show that censorship is only Pareto optimal when coupled with lump-sum transfers across consumers.

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File URL: http://www.usna.edu/EconDept/RePEc/usn/wp/usnawp10.pdf
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Paper provided by United States Naval Academy Department of Economics in its series Departmental Working Papers with number 10.

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Length: 31 pages
Date of creation: Aug 2005
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Handle: RePEc:usn:usnawp:10

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  1. Djankov, Simeon & et al, 2003. "Who Owns the Media?," Journal of Law & Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 46(2), pages 341-81, October.
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  2. Joseph Farrell & Garth Saloner, 1985. "Standardization, Compatibility, and Innovation," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 16(1), pages 70-83, Spring. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  3. Cowan, Robin & Gunby, Philip, 1996. "Sprayed to Death: Path Dependence, Lock-In and Pest Control Strategies," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 106(436), pages 521-42, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Simon P. Anderson & Stephen Coate, 2003. "Market Provision of Broadcasting: A Welfare Analysis," Virginia Economics Online Papers 358, University of Virginia, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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  5. David, Paul A, 1985. "Clio and the Economics of QWERTY," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(2), pages 332-37, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Brendan M. Cunningham & Peter J. Alexander, 2004. "A Theory of Broadcast Media Concentration and Commercial Advertising," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 6(4), pages 557-575, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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