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Six corporations control 90% of America media

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Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#151

Post by muglug »

wolverine876 wrote: post #146
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?

Largely, yes. Murdoch has a hands-off approach with News Corp — his politics are, if you can believe it, to the left of most Fox News viewers, but it makes shit-tons of money for him. Roger Ailes was the one sending out the memos, the one Murdoch trusted to increase add revenue year after year.

The other news channels know their viewers, and don’t want them to change the channel so will avoid topics those viewers might find off-putting, but there aren’t the same top-down “here is how we’ll present this story” dictats from above.

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#152

Post by TheSpiceIsLife »

sethc2 wrote: post #83
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…

I love this post. Just the perfect amount of sarcasm to force readers to think for themselves.

I often wonder about how much of other people’s words I need to read before I start thinking for myself.

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#153

Post by jessaustin »

slumdev wrote: post #95
wombatmobile wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It’s less Chomsky and more Orwell. As Neil Postman pointed out, it's less Orwell and more Huxley. “What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egois…

It's a bit of both. Jay Leno spent years showing us clueless Californians who couldn't tell us why the 4th of July is a holiday. These types would seem to confirm Huxley's suspicions, but they don't make up the entire country. For people who aren't controlled by their base desires, where soma and orgy porgy failed, today, deplatforming and "fact checkers" are stepping in to finish the job.

In a way, the fact checkers and deplatformers are a regression to Orwell-world. These stick out as something out of place or even wrong. More subtle methods like hellbanning and promoting irrelevant content aren't as noticeable. I almost have a little hope, that the bastards have to show their hands now, even if only a little bit.

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#154

Post by jessaustin »

aahortwwy wrote: post #129
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…

"I'm not saying you're self-censoring; I'm sure you believe everything you're saying. What I'm saying is that if you believed something different you wouldn't be sitting where you're sitting." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLcpcytUnWU

This is basic. It either calls into question GP's long experience, or completely proves Chomsky's point. They only hire people with no self-awareness.

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#155

Post by longtimegoogler »

6f8986c3 wrote: post #102
longtimegoogler wrote: post #99

The article doesn't really show how this situation has evolved over time. Before cable didn't we essentially only have CBS, NBC, and ABC? When I see other sources like OANN, or the disinformation being peddled from some corners, I am not sure what is a better alternative. These media companies also employ a large number of people with diverse opinions. To suggest that a small group of elites are controlling the outpu…

> These media companies also employ a large number of people with diverse opinions. Oh no they don't. If you work in media, you either bow to leftist orthodoxy, or you get fired. See Bari Weiss, etc.

And on the right, Fox let go some of longtime staffers who were not sympathetic to the networks coverage of the 2020 elections.

ESPN fired Jemele Hill for calling Trump a white supremacist.

If you want to claim that the NY Times is left-leaning than I would agree. It's a newspaper in one of the most liberal cities in the country. Its ethos are probably more reflective of that than any elite orthodoxy.

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#156

Post by jessaustin »

ryeights wrote: post #109
MeinBlutIstBlau wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>working on the right side of history I'm certain China thinks suppressing the Uyghurs is the right side of history too. Your comment is literally the most dangerous thing you can ever say. Literally that someone else is a better arbiter of truth than yourself.

GP’s post is satire https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law

We can't expect someone who swallowed the whole Uighur story to detect irony.

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#157

Post by thayne »

teslafire124 wrote: post #63
thayne wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably not without government intervention. Antitrust or antimonopoly (or anti-oligopoly) enforcement would probably help. Perhaps copyright reform would help, although that is less obvious.

That would help but there seems to be no incentive to push anti-trust efforts. Otherwise these mega corporations wouldn't exist in their current behemoth forms. I think public outcry would need to be strong enough to pressure antitrust action, but people tend to be fine with it since less companies makes access to their media more simple and streamlined

I also think a lot of people aren't aware of the situation, since each company has a multiple of different brands under their umbrella. And it doesn't hurt that since these companies control so much of the media they can, at least in theory, suppress any press that might result in such public outry.

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#158

Post by HWR_14 »

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…

Well, first off, there are other examples (e.g. Sinclair) where it is far more obvious. Lots of local stations are beholden to advertisers and kill the stories.

But it's less "here's today's memo saying how to bamboozle people" and more "person X does Y, the bosses like Y, person X gets promoted/a show/a better timeslot" feedback loop. And the top bosses are selected by the owners. I assume you believe corporate culture can come from the top. Some of this (don't make up stories and sources) is undeniably good. But there is a subtler strain that encourages you to seek out and publish stories you know your bosses will approve of. If, for instance, you started publishing stories about how the KKK was releasing studies that had some really good points you would (rightly) be fired.

I'm not saying you or your coworkers are bad or biased. I'm saying the system you are working within is.

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#159

Post by guerrilla »

DSingularity wrote: post #111
guerrilla wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since in "communist" countries, the party heads are rich and likewise in other dictatorships, I think we can just settle on the rich always control the media.

Yeah but there is a massive difference between money controlling the media because of their money and - for example - a dictator controlling the media because he’s got the guns. The media will have a totally different tint: glorifying leader/ideology in the case of dictatorship/communism. What about our profit-oriented media? Remember how it beats the drums of war every single time? Who knows what interests they repr…

> Yeah but there is a massive difference between money controlling the media because of their money and - for example - a dictator controlling the media because he’s got the guns.

The consequences are the same: the media is used to enrich the rich and empower the powerful.

Re: Six corporations control 90% of America media

#160

Post by HWR_14 »

muglug wrote: post #151
wolverine876 wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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?

Largely, yes. Murdoch has a hands-off approach with News Corp — his politics are, if you can believe it, to the left of most Fox News viewers, but it makes shit-tons of money for him. Roger Ailes was the one sending out the memos, the one Murdoch trusted to increase add revenue year after year. The other news channels know their viewers, and don’t want them to change the channel so will avoid topics those viewers mig…

I do not believe Murdoch is left of most of Fox viewers. Is it a coincidence that his UK outlets are also quite right wing?
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