"The Media Monopoly"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the companies which dominate the mass media have dominant influence over the public's news, information, public ideas, popular culture and political attitudes because they not only control the media but also have influence on government because of this ability to manipulate the public. The author points out that this also affects advertising because large newspapers target the big retailers and advertisers with their big budgets; leaving corner grocery stores' advertising to the dwindling small neighborhood papers. The paper relates that Bagdikian proposes (1) an international convention whose role it would be to examine anti-trust in the mass media and (2) corporations be socially responsible in order to prevent "giantism" in the media.

From the Paper:

"Commercial TV does have a foe, though, that of noncommercial TV. First, the noncommercial TV steals members of the audience away from commercial TV. Second, noncommercial TV reminds people that there is a choice in viewing and "an alternative to the heavy doses of sex-and-violence, fantasy advertising, and programs designed to create a 'buying mood'." Third, noncommercial TV can be honest. The author points out that this also effects advertising because large newspapers target the big retailers and advertisers with the big budgets; leaving corner grocery stores' advertising to the dwindling small neighborhood papers. They are able to deal with the issues affecting the public, as well as the controversies "in ways avoided by commercial broadcasters whose advertisers, understandably, do not wish their products associated with public controversy." "

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