Wednesday, May 14, 2008

blog number 10

· The major media companies’ argument that somehow the media are more diversified today is contradictory to their efforts over the past 40 years.
a. Media consolidation inherently means that there are fewer basic sources from which to get news.
i. The elimination of “independently” run companies makes it so that it’s harder to find dissenting viewpoints
ii. The argument that while media companies are consolidating, the internet provides a forum for individual expression is silly because the media companies saying this are also attempting to buy internet sites such as Youtube and Yahoo and junk.
b. Media consolidation allows information to be transferred more efficiently, but it’s just the same information (see a.).
· Mainstream media companies owning everything diminishes the size of the forum for independent journalists to report on stuff.
a. If they work for one of the big companies, their output has to be censored in some way.
b. If they don’t, it’s harder for them to be taken seriously.