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Six corporations control 90% of America media

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Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#141

Post by eyelidlessness »

bGriz wrote: post #136
wdr1 wrote: post #66

This doesn't seem to pass the sniff test for me. The six they list doesn't include YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok etc where a huge amount of media is consumed. And would they count YouTube as "one" outlet? I would argue I have greater choice of amongst YouTube creators than I ever did compared to, say ABC, in 1983. The analysis also seems flawed in that they evaluate movies based on box office sales. Which excl…

The 6 corporations "owning the media" concept came out just shortly before, and during, the rise of social media (e.g. I recall it circulating as far back as 2010-'12). In fact, reddit and social media are how a large number of people became aware of it. Without picking a side or making an argument, it's basically a repeatable factoid that gets people wondering how much collaboration, and potential illicit collusion,…

This isn't true. Consolidation of (old-) media has been a concern discussed as such since well before AOL was acquired by Time Warner.

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#142

Post by bGriz »

eyelidlessness wrote: post #141
bGriz wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The 6 corporations "owning the media" concept came out just shortly before, and during, the rise of social media (e.g. I recall it circulating as far back as 2010-'12). In fact, reddit and social media are how a large number of people became aware of it. Without picking a side or making an argument, it's basically a repeatable factoid that gets people wondering how much collaboration, and potential illicit collusion,…

This isn't true. Consolidation of (old-) media has been a concern discussed as such since well before AOL was acquired by Time Warner.

Sure, but it wasn't a shareable meme that could go viral. I'm referring to the comment about it passing the sniff test, my belief is it doesn't pass the sniff test because the concept of it being "6 corporations" is a decade old. And, as you suggest, perhaps much older.. I'm referring to when it was popularized as only 6.

Personally, I think it's naive to blame some exact set of companies... but in reality I never would've thought about it until someone pointed out how severe the consolidating was, and in plain sight.

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#143

Post by eli_gottlieb »

amyjess wrote: post #73

Honestly the first two paragraphs of this article alone indicate that this article is a polemic intended to stir up a pogrom against so-called elites. This isn't intellectually gratifying: it's an angry political screed. Furthermore, as a Jewish person myself something else jumped out at me: there is a long, long, long history of the word "elites" being associated with control over the media as an antisemitic dogwhis…

I gotta say, if you always read "elites" as being Jewish, then you're not just a priori ruling out any sort of class analysis, you're missing how antisemitic many of the non-Jewish elites actually are!

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#144

Post by eli_gottlieb »

briefcomment wrote: post #133
eli_gottlieb wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not terrified of having "wrong thoughts", but I do think conspiracy theorizing is dumb because no conspiracy theorist seems able to believe just one conspiracy. Oh, you think COVID was a lab leak, and that global warming is fake? What do you think about the moon landing? Is the government controlled by the Jews or the lizardmen? Why don't you (and this is a purely rhetorical "you") seem to have any limits to your…

If you believe everyone who thinks the lab leak is viable also believes in lizard men, I'm not sure what to say.

I don't believe everyone thinks anything, but I've met a hell of a lot of people for whom conspiracy theorizing is a kind of black hole: once they fall in from one direction, they start buying into a variety of theories more fundamentally wacky than the original thing that got them into it.

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#145

Post by peder »

eli_gottlieb wrote: post #126
briefcomment wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People hear the word "conspiracy" and are already on the opposite side before hearing any arguments. It's like they're terrified of having the wrong thoughts. Don't worry, we haven't reached the mind reading flavor of conspiratorial dystopia yet.

I'm not terrified of having "wrong thoughts", but I do think conspiracy theorizing is dumb because no conspiracy theorist seems able to believe just one conspiracy. Oh, you think COVID was a lab leak, and that global warming is fake? What do you think about the moon landing? Is the government controlled by the Jews or the lizardmen? Why don't you (and this is a purely rhetorical "you") seem to have any limits to your…

That seems like a remarkably poor hereustic

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#146

Post by wolverine876 »

throwaway277 wrote: post #94

Long time employee of one of those companies, here. To believe that there is some dictate about how a story is covered or why that comes from the top is to believe that we are way more organized than reality. Yes, some corporate-synergy exists to cross-promote, especially on morning shows, but when it comes to news, we are usually pushing so close to deadline there's no way to even allow for corporate control. That s…

> To believe that there is some dictate about how a story is covered or why that comes from the top is to believe that we are way more organized than reality.

I'm pretty sure there are smoking gun memos and insider reports of dictates from the top at News Corp. or at least within Fox News, which they own. Is News Corp. / Fox just a special case?

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#147

Post by washadjeffmad »

HWR_14 wrote: post #116
easterncalculus wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The only people who worry about an axis of collaboration between corporations and government to create a surveillance distopia are conspiracy theorists pushing misinformation now. The president of the United States proudly admitted to alerting Facebook to "problematic" accounts just last week. Maybe that's justified, or isn't in service of a "surveillance dystopia", but the best light is "collaboration" between the…

> Maybe that's justified, or isn't in service of a "surveillance dystopia" For crying out loud, I oppose a surveillance dystopia as much as anyone and far more than most. But it's not a surveillance dystopia for the things you publicly say and have your name attached to as you publish it to be brought to the attention of the publisher. If you wanna talk about censorship, we can talk. But that's a different concept of…

> have your name attached to as you publish it be brought to the attention of the publisher

Yes but by whom, and are they being held to the same standards of accountability?

If corporations collude in favor of the state against its political opponents in order to secure their place in a new regime's cabinet and no one is around to hear the president order it, is it still fascism?

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#148

Post by wolverine876 »

While this article is covering reports about traditional media, a few companies such as Facebook and Google control much of the online media landscape, and even what seem like scrappy challengers such as Clubhouse have businesses such as Andreessen Horowitz as investors (and after unfavorable reports by the likes of the NY Times, a16z is also making other efforts to create its own alternate media).

Unless you choose principle, high-quality journalism, you won't get it. For example, who wrote this report? Why do you trust them?

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#149

Post by in_a_society »

bookofsand wrote: post #107
motohagiography wrote: post #27

Should we be concerned about them using their media properties to push narratives designed to consolidate their influence, or ask whether some of the things we believe might be artifacts of that influence, or maybe what the sources and motives of those narratives might be? Kidding. This isn't the 90's. The only people who worry about an axis of collaboration between corporations and government to create a surveillanc…

Under climate emission targets & global equity assumptions, western (#) lifestyle must end. In political terms, the western middle class lifestyle must end, the global elites will still ride their jets 'for the common good'. According to WRI calculator, in 2018 world GHC emissions totaled 47.6 Gt. Paris accord 1.5C target is 25 Gt. Population in 2050 projected at 10 billion people. Back of the envelope calculation gi…

What would a lifestyle look like that meets these targets?

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#150

Post by bGriz »

berniemadoff69 wrote: post #31

funny this article says six companies, but lists cbs and viacom separately. they merged, the title should say five

The article was written based on older memes about those corporations. I agree with the sentiment of it, but it's unfortunately stale info. The article is a year old, the merger was a year before that, and the graphics are sourced enough to probably track down.

From the article itself: "Of note, this infographic is dated and does not reflect the current media owners of some of the news outlets."

This is a writer who found something controversial and refreshed the topic, but added a disclaimer that it's based on older pieces of information.

All that said, I'd be wondering if it's a placement piece for YouTube's NowThisWorld user/channel. Or if it's young editors at the website just stirring things up for traffic and/or relevant content for their audience.

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