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Reflecting on my experience within the evolving media landscape, mainly through the lens of the merger between CBS Corporation and Viacom Corporation, I have observed firsthand the pivotal shift from traditional cable to streaming platforms. This strategic merger aimed to harness CBS’s content creation capabilities and interest in streaming alongside Viacom’s robust network of brands like MTV, CMT, and BET to forge a competitive force in the streaming domain (Thompson & Mittell, 2020). The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic expedited our transition to a digital workspace, necessitating the adoption of tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams to maintain collaboration and operational continuity among our 30,000 employees (Smith, 2022).

The effectiveness of these collaboration tools, however, presented a mixed picture. While they facilitated communication and teamwork, the process exposed significant challenges, including digital fatigue and the complexities of merging distinct company cultures. This experience highlighted the critical need for digital literacy and comprehensive training to transition smoothly to these new operational standards. Despite these hurdles, the benefits of enhanced communication cannot be overstated, though they also highlighted the necessity for additional, more tailored tools. Platforms like Slack, Dropbox, and OneDrive became the cornerstone for team communication, project management, and project coordination (Crous, 2020).

Subsequently, the merger between CBS Corporation and Viacom Corporation illustrates a broader industry trend towards streaming, driven by changing consumer preferences and the challenges posed by the pandemic. It highlights the essential role of digital collaboration tools in navigating this transition while emphasizing the need for strategic approaches to mitigate digital fatigue and cultivate a unified company culture in this new era of digital workspaces (Roy, 2022)

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