Media Consolidation

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requests that the laws regulating the ownership of different television stations be changed. However, the public is also left completely in the dark without any detail on the subject. It is clear that modern media are resistant to publishing news about powerful media conglomerates and the consolidation of markets. A significant number of players are major media corporations whose radio and newspaper channels are unable to serve their obligation to educate their readers and audiences. Big companies have a huge impact on mass media. Major multinational corporations including Gannett, Microsoft, Time Warner-CBS channel and Alphabet among others (O’Reilly). In many cases, media institutions survive on advertising fees that may lead to the media outlet being swayed by several corporate interests.

The principle of a functional democracy where the public should make informed decisions based on what they acquire from the media is often compromised by the concentration in media ownerships. There are few players in the media industry. Consequently, this leads to the possibility of less diversity as well as a reduced quality of information considering that political interests may not allow certain issues to be covered. Just as in business, monopolies should not be encouraged in media. Ultimately media consolidation has various effects on the quality of journalism as Free Press points out, they are Absorbed only on the end result, they’re laying off journalists and plundering newsrooms countrywide. Further a good number of these corporations are evading the FCC’s ownership guidelines to acquire more outlets and develop monopolies in markets all over the nation.

In my estimation, corporate media giants are quieting varied voices, undermining quality journalism as well as eliminating local content. A good number of big media giants are entertainment companies that have various interests including owning other operations and businesses in different industries and markets. The common markets that this media corporations operate in include the distribution networks, toys as well as clothing production and retailing. Therefore, it is evident that while it is good for their enterprises, the diversity of opinions, ideas, and issues that can be seen discussed by them will be not as much covered. On television channels and newspapers that are owned by the media giants, one is less likely to come across criticisms of such corporations (Shah). Additionally, it is rare for media outlets belonging to large companies to openly criticize the economy, political situation and many other policies and issues that are against the interests of the mother company. Such a situation poses a significant threat to diversity as well as meaningful competition. Consequently, smaller media outlets end up being intimidated as they run out of business or are bought by the corporations.

Additionally, corporations owning media outlets produce less local content as compared to other independent media organizations. When a large company has control of major media outlets across the country, it becomes cheaper to do away with local reporters and focus on national content. It is clear that the motives are profit oriented. Local communities expect to access diverse sources of news as well as public affairs programming from various outlets, but media conglomerates are prone to using the same editorial content for broadcast in all their television stations as well as their newspapers and websites. There is a need for independent media services for any functioning democracy. Therefore, the FCC needs to set regulations on media ownership and do away with all corporate buyouts.

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Works Cited

O’Reilly, Lara. “The 30 Biggest Media Companies In The World”. Business Insider, 2016, http://www.businessinsider.com/the-30-biggest-media-owners-in-the-world-2016-5?IR=T/#28-prosiebensat1--291-billion-in-media-revenue-3.

Press, Free. Free Press, 2017, http://www.freepress.net/media-consolidation.

Shah, Anup. ”Media Conglomerates, Mergers, Concentration of Ownership — Global Issues”. Globalissues.Org, 2009, http://www.globalissues.org/article/159/media-conglomerates-mergers-concentration-of-ownership.