Media Consolidation

Great Essays
Throughout the years, America has gone through a great revolution involving technology. With the technological revolution taking off news outlets have increased the various means by which they distribute information to the people. Increasingly a few media corporations took charge of a majority of the news the general public can access. As a result they controlled most of one’s ideas and imagination about the world. This control allows these conglomerates to influence the media they want the public to see, and in doing so much of society is blinded to issues that are of importance. Media consolidation has harmed televised news because, it can censor people from issues of importance, and media corporations are motivated by profit rather than …show more content…
Champlin and Knoedler wrote about how certain news stations feel their news is used as a public good and, “According to McChesney(1999), the major broadcast networks long regarded their provision of news to the public as a public service with professional journalism…”(462). Therefore, the news stories that are broadcasted by conglomerates are supposedly based on public interest and cater to serve society. The Documentary “Shadows of Liberty”, is directed by Jean Philippe Tremblay and informs viewers that journalism is the only profession protected under the American Constitution. The birth of free press stems from people like Tom Paine. Free press is what gives journalists the leeway to report on issues they feel are important. On September 17th, 2016, NBC News did a news story called, “U.S. Military Mistakenly Targets Syrian Regime Forces”. It informs the public that U.S. bombs may have mistakenly killed Syrian troops. The troops were mistaken for members of ISIS. As a result the U.S. set off bombs in these areas and a followup investigation is currently underway. The U.S. government fears that this mistake will affect the cease fire between the two countries. This news story broadcasted by a conglomerate, is legitimate news that society can actually benefit from being aware …show more content…
On September 23rd, 2016, BBC News did a report titled, “US police protests: 'They hate white people’”. Republican Congressman Robert Pittenger from North Carolina, made a mockery of himself as he stated that he feels African Americans hate White people because Whites are successful and they 're not. He then went on to call for the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., in order to restore peace in Charlotte, North Carolina, where there had been a police shooting of a black man. This segment is comical in the way Pittenger contradicts himself so often. Certain portions of this report may be considered objective news, but the vast majority of it is this man who is clearly not fit to be speaking on TV just stating pure nonsense about his views on African Americans. There are far more important issues that are warranted to be broadcasted on BBC News than what was shown

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