Monday, October 18, 2010
The Big Bad Media Monster
With all of the different channels, cable packages, and independent broadcasters around the world, you would think that you would get just as many different views, right? Wrong! All the forms of media in the world don't mean a thing when they are all owned by the same handful of conglomerates. The fact that these few companies own virtually ALL of the media is a scary thought. What happens when they decide that they can truly control all media if they begin to merge with or buy their few remaining competitors? I know that the federal government has strict laws against product and service companies forming monopolies, but what regulations do they have on media companies doing this? What happens when the general media is literally controlled by one person or group of people with all the same motives, goals, and beliefs? Say goodbye to the last ounce of objectivity that we had left in this world. Say goodbye to actual truth and or open opinions. The only reason this hasn't become a reality yet is due to the fact that the few media moguls in existence are all on opposite sides of the spectrum, whether it be republican, democrat, conservative, liberal, or radical. Thank God for these differences or I doubt we would ever here an objective word again.
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This is a good post, and I find it particularly interesting since this was the topic of my group's teaching day. With the blending of media, we see a blending of the content. But the way you word it, it seems that we are essentially doomed. What can we do to counter this "media monopolization"? I feel that while the largest media channels might be difficult to speak through if we do not share their views, we need to start voicing our stances and opinions on more open forums, such as the internet. As long as America does not ban or restrict the internet, there will be always be true freedom of speech and ability to be heard on the internet. And as one of the most recent of the larger medias (television, print, radio, etc.) it is not hard to get your opinion out there. As long as we keep finding the cracks in the wall of monopoly, there will be a way to speak our minds in a way that we can be heard.
ReplyDeleteGood post, Bradley. It will be interesting to see the impact this will have as the public transitions more to receiving their news via the internet. I agree with Mikal that as long as we keep finding cracks in the wall, like blogs and independent websites, there will always be a way to speak our minds in a way that can be heard.
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