Review of Changes in the Media Industry in the Era of Platform and Improvement Potential through Application of Competition Law

Abstract

The dominance of the platform is gradually expanding around the world, and this phenomenon is no exception in Korea. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable in the media industry, and the expansion of the platform's dominance is a factor that further intensifies the media crisis that has already been underway. Currently, online articles are provided through platforms, and as a result, media companies' dependence on the platform is increasing. In this situation, the self-sustaining foundation of the media company will weaken, and the core function of the media based on diversity will inevitably shrink. To solve this problem, measures have been proposed to increase the responsiveness of media companies to the platform or to regulate the relationship between the platform and media by a third party that guarantees fairness. The former is embodied in a way that grants neighboring rights to media companies under the Copyright Act to enhance the bargaining power of media companies that provide articles through the platform. The latter is typical of the operation of the "News Alliance Evaluation Commission" in Korea, which is based on the perception that arbitrary exercise of control of the platform can be suppressed by the committee deciding whether to maintain transaction relations between the platform and media companies in an independent position. Such attempts are expected to contribute to solving problems to some extent, but certain limitations are also being revealed. To supplement this, it is necessary to actively consider the application of competition laws. The media provides the basis for democracy, the principle of political order, and competition is a key factor in maintaining media diversity. This internal connection between the media and competition will not only support the validity of the application of the competition law to the media sector, but also serve as a basis for expecting the effectiveness of regulations under the competition law.