A Territorialized Business Model? Exploring the Objective and Subjective Conceptualizations of the Local Scale Built by Mid-City Digital News Media in Chile

Abstract

Digital news media have struggled to find the most sustainable business model to survive and thrive in recent years. Current research has paid little attention to this problem at the local level in non-Western and peripheral media systems. By qualitatively analyzing six case studies of local news digital media in Chile, this article explores the connection between digital media business models and territory. The main findings suggest that the territorial dimension is most visible in media sustainability, community-building, and journalistic value. A single analytical model for both national and local media may be inadequate; therefore, a contextual and comprehensive approach to each media ecosystem is suitable to better understand media business models.