Introduction Ideally, the media is seen as the mouthpiece of society. For instance, different societies experience countless events on a daily basis due to various cultural practices, traditions, and, norms. The media is responsible for using media agents such as the printing press, the radio, the internet, and television to report current occurrences to the public. Over the years, the media has evolved owing to the changing dynamics brought about by the growth of technology, industrialization, and development. As a result, the primary concept associated with the media has changed to meet the new expectations (Johnston, 2000). Along with this growth and change has come the birth of media conglomerates as media groups merged out of financial necessity.
The media has noble roots which can be attributed to the need to create awareness of the various events in our communities. As times changed, that local awareness became national awareness and then international. Corporations became involved in media relations and eventually found the need to own media outlets to ensure their advertising dollars promoted fair and open media coverage (Shah, 2009). In the United States alone, media mergers increased significantly beginning in the 1980s with the total number of nine corporations dominating media by the end of the 1990s and eight by 2006 (Shah, 2009). Entities such as AOL Time Warner, Disney, Viacom, General Electric, and Sony are just a few of the corporations that had bid and purchased media companies over the years. While hundreds of small media companies ensure a diversity of coverage of news and events, the economic reality is dim. However, the merger of media outlets into multi-company conglomerates is more cost effective but increases the chance for less diversity of news coverage and allows for corporations to control more of what the general public can access. Another interesting change from media’s noble roots is the move from media types (such as newsprint, radio, television, internet) playing watchdog in a linear fashion to what is termed “an amiable hybrid” where the buyouts of newsprint by television moguls or movie companies buying up television and newsprint are checking on each other and working together to ensure fair lobbying and business practices (Bagdikian, 1987).
In the past, media outlets used their influence to grow their communities, businesses, and public knowledge while keeping their goals and objectives within the ethical and legal lines. The 1900s saw the rise of industrialization which affected the way in which all establishments, institutions, and associations defined their brands. Most of the companies focused on gaining a large percentage of market control to suit their market control, wealth, and economic prowess (Graham et al, 2014). During this time, the significance of the media gained a greater recognition with regard to political control, warfare, and international trade. One of the ways that the media has been compromised is through the commercialization of the media. For example, some of the leading media stations have formed alliances with each other with the intent of monopolizing their content (Kunz, 2007). In turn, media stations such as FOX, entertainment, CNN, and BBC have incorporated new functions which enable and dictate the selection of superficial shows, news, movies, and documentaries. In turn, the public is brainwashed to believe the content of the media, seeing as funders of public conglomerates have the final say of what is presented to the public (Graham et al, 2014).
Notably, the media is expected to shape the society by airing information that is essential for economic, societal, political and environmental grow. On the other hand, each society has the responsibility for monitoring the contents of the media to ensure that their needs, perceptions, and views are well represented. Though the media is credited for the creation of awareness on subjects such as education, war, religion, entertainment, and health, members of the media often compromise on their position by fulfilling the needs of the influential minority (Johnston, 2000).
To conclude, broadcast stations are given the go ahead to use public airwaves to successfully transmit information, data, and events to listeners. As such, the services should be geared towards the meeting the needs of the society as opposed to fulfilling personal needs. To add on, the media should not act as gatekeepers by controlling the type of shows, news, and documentaries they air and publish. In this case, the media should work hand in hand with various public institutions, the government and its peers to ensure that all media outlets are held accountable for their actions in the event that they deviate from the fundamentals.
- Bagdikian, Ben. (1987). The Media Brokers: Concentration and Ownership of the Press. The Multinational Monitor, September 1987, Volume 8, Number 9. Web. 28 Jun 2015. http://www.multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/issues/1987/09/bagdikian.html
- Graham, M., William H., & Manuel, C. (2014). Society and the Internet: How Networks of Information and Communication Are Changing Our Lives.
- Johnston, C. B. (2000). Screened out: How the media control us and what we can do about it. Armonk, N.Y. [u.a.: M. E. Sharpe.
- Kunz, W. M. (2007). Culture conglomerates: Consolidation in the motion picture and television industries. Lanham, Md. [u.a.: Rowman & Littlefield
- Shah, Anup. “Media Conglomerates, Mergers, Concentration of Ownership.” Global Issues. 02 Jan. 2009. Web. 28 Jun. 2015.
