Which term in Hesmondhalgh's analysis describes turning everything into something that can be bought or sold, creating issues in both production and consumption?

• A. Diversity
• B. Commodification
• C. Public service broadcasting
• D. Convergence

Answer: (B)

Commodification describes turning everything into something that can be bought or sold. In Hesmondhalgh’s view, this market logic infiltrates both production and consumption. On the production side, content is shaped by profit motives, IP control, and the push for scalable, low-risk formats, which can lead to precarious labor, staffing precarity, and less experimental work. On the consumption side, audiences are treated as markets; attention and engagement become commodities for advertisers and platforms, guiding what gets produced and how it’s packaged. The result is tensions where creativity and labor are subordinated to monetization, and the way people consume culture is increasingly tied to commercial incentives.