Corporate media/Consolidation

Corporate media/Consolidation

After spectacular consolidation of TV and newspaper ownership, the commercially controlled media has never been in so few hands. Around the world, the same picture repeats itself - an ever smaller number of huge corporations controlling an ever large number of formerly independent media outlets, retaining the apparent diversity of opinion while in fact exercising hierarchical control over content, thus presenting a controlled spectrum of opinion.

TV

This has facilitated the use of CCM as a propaganda tool by making it easier and organise misleading or downright mendacious media campaigns. For example, no real debate occurred about the lies told by government and military officials in the run up to the 2003 Iraq War. Consolidation is frequently associated with cost cutting, a decrease in investigative reporting and an increased reliance on centrally produced material such as VNRs.

Relaxing of Regulations

Historically, the US has promoted and subsidised a diversity of ownership of media, as this was understood to be required for a well functioning democracy. Regulations existed to prevent cross-ownership (newspapers, radio, TV and other mass media) or concentration of ownership of media. These have either been relaxed and/or completely discarded under the weight of the transnational media conglomerates multi million(or billion?) dollar lobbying.

Illusion of choice

Whatever apparent choice is available, behind the innumerable different names and logos lie just a handful of trans-national corporate interests. These either own the media channels outright or - with the notable exceptions of the BBC and Wikipedia (See below) - provide the dominant income stream through advertising.

 

Related Quotations

Page	Quote	Author	Date
George Carlin	“The things that matter in this country have been reduced in choice, there are two political parties, there are a handful insurance companies, there are six or seven information centers...but if you want a bagel there are 23 flavors. Because you have the illusion of choice!”	George Carlin
Christian Perronne	“I was involved in the management of several epidemics and pandemics, with different governments, and when I saw how the epidemic was managed since February-March 2020, I was amazed. I saw that it was completely crazy. That’s why I spoke out in the media, but now I’m censored in the media.”	Christian Perronne
Vladimir Putin	“Digital giants have been playing an increasingly significant role in wider society, in certain areas they are competing with states … Here is the question, how well does this monopolism correlate with the public interest? Where is the distinction between successful global businesses, sought-after services and big data consolidation on the one hand, and the efforts to rule society[…] by substituting legitimate democratic institutions, by restricting the natural right for people to decide how to live and what view to express freely on the other hand?”	Vladimir Putin	2021

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