Freedom of Speech on the Internet — Part 4: Concentration of Media Ownership
Note: This is Part 4 in a series of posts about freedom of speech on the Internet. You should read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 first.
The voice of the common man cannot be heard when the control of the press is concentrated among such a small number of players.
“Political freedom is a society’s safety valve, allowing the passionately critical a nonviolent way to express their dissatisfaction with the status quo.”
– David Cole, “Quotes on Democracy”
While the “diverse spectrum” of corporate news outlets has created the illusion of a free and fair press, the increasing trend of media consolidation over the last two centuries is even beginning to threaten this illusion. Corporate media consolidation – the majority of media outlets being owned by a small number of conglomerates and corporations – is an increasing problem that threatens free and fair political discourse in the United States.
Americans are increasingly realizing the negative implications that concentration of media ownership is having on free and fair political discourse. Former CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite, who has lobbied the FCC against adopting relaxed media ownership guidelines, was quoted in BusinessWeek as saying, “The gathering of more and more outlets under one owner clearly can be an impediment to a free and independent press.”
This gathering of outlets under one owner has only increased over the past 25 years. I read that “In 1983, 50 corporations controlled the vast majority of all news media in the U.S. . . . In 2004, only 5 huge corporations – Time Warner, Disney, Murdoch’s News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany, and Viacom (formerly CBS) – now control most of the media industry in the U.S.”
If political freedom is a society’s safety valve, what happens when the means to express this political freedom are controlled by interests that wish to maintain the status quo? In this system, how can “passionately critical Americans” express their dissatisfaction?
Short answer: they cannot; they have no voice, no free speech.
Update: You should read:
Part 5 – George Orwell Rolls in His Grave
Part 6 – The Internet Revolution and Citizen Media
Part 7 – Remix Culture (…again)
Part 8 – Threats to Freedom of Speech on the Net
Part 9 – Yes We Can Regulate Culture with Copyright Law
Part 10 – Lawrence Lessig = Awesome
Part 11 – Final Thoughts
Related Posts
Posted under Essays, Politics, The Internets on Jul 24, 2009.
2,382 views :corporations, FCC, freedom, media control, monopoly3 Comments for this entry
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Feross Aboukhadijeh - Stanford, CA
Hi, this is Feross. I'm a computer science student at Stanford University (class of 2012). I'm interested in Internet technology, web development, and computer security. I like hacking on cool software projects, running, basketball, retro video games, and shiny gadgets.
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I support
July 24th, 2009 on 2:02 pm
Hello,
Peace be unto you. I am a censored and banned writer. However the greatest threat to my right to Free Expression has come from my Internet Service Providers are other unknown parties denying me the right to freely use my email service.
I have an on-line Journal. Since January 2009 I have had on-going problems posting my Journal. By June 4, 2009 I changed Internet service Providers from TDS to Comcast. However I still have not been able to post my Journal. Meanwhile Comcast seems to repair the problem but when I get ready to post the Journal the problems is still there. I have contacted the Corporate Office and had technicians to come to my home based business but there has been little or progress.
I have had problems with my right to Free Expression, Academic Freedoms since I was a graduate student 1971-1973. I have published 3 books and all have been censored. Is there any agency that can assist me with these problems? For a good look at my work see my web pages: http://www.freedomjournalpress.com.
I can also forward if possible other information if needed.
Peace,
Carl A. Patton
FreedomJournal Press
P.O. Box 1745
Murfreesboro, TN 37133
615-471-1681
August 6th, 2009 on 5:50 am
Hi Carl,
Sorry to hear about your plight. Unfortunately, there is little I can actually do to help (I’m a student and don’t have the resources nor time). You might want to try contacting the ACLU (http://www.aclu.org/) and see if they can help you.
Best of luck to you,
Feross
August 6th, 2009 on 9:45 am
Peace and Love,
These are the latest developments.
Peace be unto you. We are grateful for the efforts of the Comcast Security Team. Therefore our Email problems should be resolved. However we inform any person or groups that willfully with premeditation seek to impede, sabotage our Email Service to deny the posting of the On-Line FreedomJournal and restrict our ability to function as a Publishing entity in a Free Market Place to cease and desist. For the record there are Federal Laws that govern the Internet and the use thereof of all persons. It is thus duly unlawful to conspire to defraud and deny anyone the right to the realm of Free Expression and or the First Amendment. We also declare that those that seek to use Security measures of Internet Service Providers to deny equal access by rendering false information challenge the existing laws that protect the integrity and Free Expression of all that liveth.
Therefore those that have aught with the FreedomJournal you have the right to express yourself. Put up a Web Site and deny our research etc. Also don’t hide behind closed doors and down in holes. Speak out about your objections to our Journal you may gain more support. Those that hide must be doing something wrong. If you believe so much in your objections to our work why not express this openly. Meanwhile you have the right to disagree with us. However you do not have the right to criminally seek to destroy and deny our existence.
Carl A. Patton, FreedomJournal Press