Media Monopoly

I just read an article entitled "Upstart Paper Cracks Irving Media Monoply." This article can be found at: www.chrisarsenault.ca/feature.upstart_paper_cracks_irving_media_ monopoly.html. It got me thinking about how a few companies own a majority of the media. How did that happen? Why was it allowed to happen? Because companies having control of the media is not good for society. These companies are not concerned about informing the public; they are only concerned about making a profit.
Owing part of the media helps these companies make money, because they can use the media to get public support for their other business ventures. According to the article, the Irving Company has done just that. In its HERE Magazine, a story ran about the benefits of natural gas. At the time of the story, the company was planning to build a natural gas facility. The company was essentially trying to sway the public’s opinion with that article. The news is not a tool to manipulate the opinions of the public; it is an avenue to inform the public.
One of the main pillars of journalism is that it is independent. This is supposed to keep the news honest. The news should not have an agenda. It is meant to inform the public of events and be critical of the government and business. The news cannot do its job when it is controlled by a company.
I understand why companies would want to control the media. Being able to control knowledge and information is a very powerful thing. It can inform the public of things only they want the public to know about, and frame information in a way that is beneficial to them. It’s logical that a company would not want to share that power with others. Having less competition in the media field is good for those companies, but it is bad for the public.
It limits the number of news sources for the public. If those companies fail to report on an event, people won’t know about it unless they were directly involved in it. People should not be limited in their knowledge, because they have a right to know what is happening in their society. Luckily for the public, the Internet exists.
On the Internet, people can find out about everything and anything. There is no shortage of information, and that information can be obtained quickly and easily by anyone. No one company controls the Internet. Instead it is controlled by millions of people who have different areas of expertise, interests and beliefs. This diversity helps to keep the Internet independent. Hopefully, it will stay that way.