Media Ownership
Television:
Daily Show - Comedy Central (Viacom)
Sports Center - ESPN (Walt Disney)
FSN - (Fox News Corp)
Radio:
MPR (MPR)
K102 (Clear Channel)
Internet:
Comcast
Until sitting down and really examing the different types of media that I use on a regular basis, and figuring out who owns these forms of media, I never really thought about how ownership has severly limited that media. Above are simply a couple examples of what I am exposed to on a daily basis, and I must say that the corporations owning these media outlets are few in number. In fact, it is amazing to think that almost all of the media we are exposed to is owned by about 10 major corporations, many of whom are intertwined with one another through various mergers and consolidation deals. At this point in time, the chance of hearing distinctly different voices and opinions on major issues is dwindling rapidly. For example, when the Dixie Chicks released some questionable songs and comments concerning the current Bush administration K102, which is owned by Clear Channel, pulled their work from the air. This was done because Clear Channel, owned by a typically conservative group, was close to the Bush administration and would not support the opinions of the Dixie Chicks. Other cases of cross ownership include GE and NBC. It is wonderful that GE is able to advertise its products without the presence of a dissenting voice on its own T.V. station, but what does this mean for the American viewer. It is fair to say that today's media market is more or less a monopoly of major corporations. The only way to combat this, and to keep reality in sight is to educate Americans on media literacy. By knowing who controls what, and what that does to the message being presented, it is fairly easy to see how we are constantly being enticed to buy something. Media literacy is our only effective weapon against this type of covert advertising, and by knowing who owns what, we will be able to keep our own best interests in clear view.
Television:
Daily Show - Comedy Central (Viacom)
Sports Center - ESPN (Walt Disney)
FSN - (Fox News Corp)
Radio:
MPR (MPR)
K102 (Clear Channel)
Internet:
Comcast
Until sitting down and really examing the different types of media that I use on a regular basis, and figuring out who owns these forms of media, I never really thought about how ownership has severly limited that media. Above are simply a couple examples of what I am exposed to on a daily basis, and I must say that the corporations owning these media outlets are few in number. In fact, it is amazing to think that almost all of the media we are exposed to is owned by about 10 major corporations, many of whom are intertwined with one another through various mergers and consolidation deals. At this point in time, the chance of hearing distinctly different voices and opinions on major issues is dwindling rapidly. For example, when the Dixie Chicks released some questionable songs and comments concerning the current Bush administration K102, which is owned by Clear Channel, pulled their work from the air. This was done because Clear Channel, owned by a typically conservative group, was close to the Bush administration and would not support the opinions of the Dixie Chicks. Other cases of cross ownership include GE and NBC. It is wonderful that GE is able to advertise its products without the presence of a dissenting voice on its own T.V. station, but what does this mean for the American viewer. It is fair to say that today's media market is more or less a monopoly of major corporations. The only way to combat this, and to keep reality in sight is to educate Americans on media literacy. By knowing who controls what, and what that does to the message being presented, it is fairly easy to see how we are constantly being enticed to buy something. Media literacy is our only effective weapon against this type of covert advertising, and by knowing who owns what, we will be able to keep our own best interests in clear view.
posted by nbuck at 7:36 PM
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