The Dangers of the Concentration of Media Ownership

Have you ever noticed that the movies you watch, the magazines you read, and the radio you listen to are all run by a few large corporations? This is called media concentration. It’s a process where fewer and fewer individuals and organizations control the shares of the mass media. Contemporary research shows increasing levels of media consolidation being dominated by a very small number of firms. Media firms are motivated to merge results from different companies so that they can increase revenues and  maintain a competitive edge and viewership.

In recent years, as information and entertainment have become an increasingly major part of our culture, media companies have found ways to become more efficient in reaching viewers and creating profit. Successful media companies usually buy out other companies to make them more powerful and profitable, which in turn enables them to reach a larger viewing audience. 

In the United States, there are only six main conglomerates that control most of the broadcast media: CBS Corporation, Comcast, Time Warner, 21st Century Fox (formerly News Corporation), Viacom, and The Walt Disney Company. Globally, some of the largest media conglomerates include Bertelsmann, Sony Corporation, America Online, AT&T Inc., Fox Corporation, and Hearst Communications. As of 2020, the largest media conglomerates in terms of revenue are Comcast, The Walt Disney Company, AT&T, and ViacomCBS. According to Fox Business, the biggest media merger of all time was in 2000 when America Online bought control over Time Warner for a total of $112 billion. 

One reason why the practice of media concentration is so harmful is because it increases the risk of media integrity: the ability of a media outlet to serve the public interest and the democratic process. This refers to the idea that the information being presented to the public should be uncorrupt and uninfluenced by certain individuals. Media integrity is especially endangered when the owners of the media have relationships with political figures. This can potentially lead to the media being used to support particular political interests, which goes against the basic ideals of democracy. 

Another issue that arises with media consolidation is that the diversity of viewpoints has been diminished. This is a result of having fewer owners, which in turn leads to fewer voices being heard. Additionally, freedom of press and editorial independence can also be limited. On the local end, it is very common for reporters to have their stories refused or edited beyond recognition. One prime example of this is when networks refuse to air “ads” from anti-war advocates, liberal groups like MoveOn.org, and even religious groups like the United Church of Christ, regardless of factual basis. 

Broadcast media may be directly sponsored by parties who are being featured in editorial reports, leading to reports which actually favor the sponsor or which simply repeat the sponsors’ opinion. Consequently, if the companies dominating a media market choose to suppress stories that do not serve their interests, the public suffers, since they may not be adequately informed of crucial issues that affect them.

Knowing this, it is important to check where you are getting information from and understand if what you are reading is a sponsored work. In addition, cross checking your facts by using various sources can help you be more informed and give you a broader perspective on a topic.