Ted Turner Threats To Democracy

Until the 1980s, the control of the media was in the hands of the national government. From then, the control shifted to private outlets and by the 1990’s, there were more than fifty multinational companies who controlled it (“Mass Media”). Today, only about six major companies control the larger fraction of media in America (Williams, Par. 1). Norman Solomon wrote in the New Political Science Journal that most reporters and editors work for just a few huge companies. These journalists and editors are on the payroll for “mega-media institutions”, of which, only about six exist (Solomon 297). How much will the public learn if these companies generally control the output of information?

Media corporations have been merging into fewer (and larger) entities which are better able to control the flow of information to the public. Because of their size and power, they can prevent unfavorable coverage of their activities in the media outlets they own. In 1983, 50 corporations controlled the vast majority of all news media in the U.S. In 1992, fewer than two dozen of these corporations owned and operated 90% of the mass media; controlling almost all of America's newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations, books, records, movies, videos, wire services and photo agencies. Now only 5 huge corporations - Time Warner, Disney, Murdoch's News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany, and Viacom (formerly CBS) - now control most of the media industry in the U.S. General Electric's NBC is a close sixth. Democracy can't exist without an informed public. We rely on unbiased news from independent

Today’s media is far too consolidated. In 1983, fifty companies owned 90% of the media, but in 2011, that same 90% was owned by just 5 (1). This is why I propose that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) lower the limit on the amount of market share that an organization can own; moving us closer to an ‘ideal democracy’. I also add the stipulation that if media was struggling to find a foot hold in the market, the FCC could grant all media outlets non-profit status; however, this stipulation is simply a clause in case breaking up outlets had unintended consequences and this will not be explored through this paper.

The media shouldn’t be owned by corporations or viewership numbers. The television is a power platform that is broadcasted directly into the homes, and minds, of almost every American. It has the ability to come into people’s lives to

The public can now have a say in what they see, and this differs from ‘old guard newsrooms.’ Liquid journalism is intertwined, being a very fluctuating version. Generalizations do not seem to be the same words one would associate a journalist with. TV was free, but now people pay for in time and money. They are constantly looking for profit centers. Antitrust rulings keep companies from owning too much, and the companies are no longer stopped from syndicating by fin-syn. Buying smaller channels is a way for bigger companies to make money, too. CBS and NBC were the first two major companies for broadcasting. The FCC limits the sizes of conglomerates, questioned by the NRA. Critics argue that owning so much of each media type (radio, tv, newspaper) decreases competition of

Six corporations, managed by 232 individuals, now own and run 90% of U.S. mass media news outlets, in a 14%, America the illiterate, voting population.

A liberal is a person that believes that the government should provide equality for all, while a conservative is a person that believes in limited government and that the government should provide the necessary freedom for people to pursue their own goals. Over time, it has been argued, mostly by conservatives, that there is a liberal bias in the media. Liberals have combated this idea with the belief that conservative media is devoted to making efforts to invoke fear and division in the general public. Though liberals make a fine counter-argument, it is easier to observe that the media is liberal-biased. The liberal versus conservative debate can be compared to facts versus values. Another reason for bias within the media is that a significant percentage of minorities, or smaller groups within the population that are often thought to be poorer, politically identify themselves as liberals. To make these minorities feel like the government is on their side as well as everyone else’s, the media must accommodate the needs of these minorities. Because of this, the media becomes liberal-biased.

Corruption in media and journalism is growing throughout the US in today’s society. The documentary “ Orwell Rolls in his Grave: Devastating Expose on American Journalism and Media Concentration: Leading Thinkers” makes points to show where there is corruption and how media is being brought up to. The documentary covers the topics of the conspiracy of the 2000 US Presidential election of Bush vs. Gore and concentration of media ownership. However, this film is a biased point of view because it is a liberal view of these topics.

Martin Gilens and Craig Hertzman at Yale University, have conducted a study on the Corporate ownership and news bias through the newspaper coverage of the 1996 Telecommunication Act addressing the claim: “Financial interests of corporate owners lead America’s news bureaus to downplay the significant issues surrounding the growing concentration of ownership of the country’s mass media” (Martin and Hertzman, 2000.)

In order to make a free democracy, an individual needs a well-informed public. The citizens have the right to have access to all sides of the information presented and since the media broadcasts their information via publicly owned airwaves, they have the responsibility to serve the public interests and provide their citizens with this information. But media consolidation interferes with that aspect of democracy. With the deregulations that were placed by the Telecommunications act of 1996, all that the large corporations focus on is their profit margin. Although according to article Welcome to Havana written by media critic Robert McChesney, the author states that the term deregulation sounds like a benefit for the community because it means

The five major conglomerates that control the US media are Time Warner, Disney, Murdochs’ News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany, and Viacom (formerly CBS). They dominate most of the newspapers, magazines, books, radio and TV stations, movie studios, and much of the internet news content of the US. After the Second World War, three out of four of US newspapers were individually owned. The media-control has reduced ever since due to mergers, acquisitions, and other processes. By the year 1983, about 50 corporations controlled 90 percent of US media. Contrary to this, today five conglomerates control 90 percent of what most Americans read, watch, and listen to.

“Journalism scholars, critics, and the public continue to debate the wisdom of using unnamed sourcing in news reports. Proponents argue that granting sources anonymity is necessary to ensure the free flow of information that otherwise would go unreported. Critics of the practice charge that journalists too readily grant anonymity and thus risk undermining media credibility.” (Duffy).

Each day in more than various states across the country, there are dozens of reporters that are investigating topics such as government waste, corruption and fraud. But they are not employed by traditional television stations and newspapers. Recent polls have shown that nearly 80 percent of Americans believe news stories are often influenced by the elite, and many others state that the media tend to favor one side of issues over another. The rise of commentary by partisan cable broadcasters, radio hosts and bloggers has blurred the lines between news and opinion in a numerous amount of people's minds, stimulating concern that slanted reporting is replacing media objectivity. At the same time, newspapers,broadcasters, and even some partisan

Reliance on the media for news and ideas has always been prevalent. Now, it’s not uncommon to switch on CNN to view the opinions of political commentators on a certain issue. But does the public know who those “political commentators” actually are and what they represent? This is where the term, “Media-Lobbying Complex” comes into play so the viewers can know the other interests of these frequent faces of opinion in the media, who hide behind the First Amendment to defend their opinions.

The news has a responsibility to provide accurate information to the American people. However, journalists are only human, and it is important to take note of any biases present in their writing. W.L. Bennett is one scholar who addressed this concern, arguing that journalism has four main media biases: personalization, dramatization, fragmentation, and authority-disorder bias (Bennett, 2012). While Bennett voices concerns of adverse consequences, scholars Ozen Bas and Maria Elizabeth Grabe argue that biases like personalization can help people with lower education levels retain information better (Bas & Grabe, 2015). Referencing two news clips and an article, this essay argues that media biases rampant across platforms have good intent to get