Who will control the media? The impact of GAFAM on the media industries in the digital economy

Introduction. The media ecosystem is governed by a new economy where traditional media are losing their hegemonic position to technologic companies. Despite the growing presence of these companies in media products and services, there are few academic studies examining their transformation from a structural perspective. Methods. This article provides a complete analysis of the Internet giants Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft (GAFAM), which allows us to assess their impact on the media. Based on the review of scientific literature, the specialised press and corporate and institutional reports, the article examines the increasing connection between GAFAM and media content, as well as their capacity to establish patterns that shape the future development of the cultural and creative industries in the digital economy. Results. The results confirm that GAFAM play a central role in the digital economy and identify the key concepts of development for the media industries operating within this ecosystem.