Challenging the Media Monopoly

Economics -> American Capitalism and Social Justice Spring 12

Introduction

Media-Octopus

Challenging the media monopoly is not a new idea among activists. FAIR, the Center for Media and Democracy, the Media Education Foundation, Project Censored, and the Center for Digital Democracy are only a handful of activist organizations who have made strides in protecting consumers, educating the public, criticizing and holding corporations accountable, and exposing Big Media wrongdoing. Through accomplishing these goals, each organization remains consistent with important ideals relevent in the works of Gar Alperovitz #Gar Alperovitz's Case for Alternatives to Capitalism and the Obstacles Posed by the Media Monopoly, William Domhoff #William Domhoff's Take on the Role of Mass Media in America and Michael Yates #Relating the Media's Control to Unions. They also in turn overcome the shortcomings of capitalism in which Bowles, Edwards & Roosevelt #Overcoming the Shortcomings of Capitalism Revealed by Bowles, Edwards & Roosevelt discuss.

Each of the organization’s dedication to challenging the media monopoly in order to create better relationships between media outlets and the public directly mimics the framework of social justice. The corporate media conglomerate that has taken over a majority of the independent news outlets and their desire to tell the truth about important news stories across the globe goes against the ideals of social justice in which these activists want to uphold.

Creating just relationship at all system levels is the first important ideal of social justice. Every activist group mentioned attempts to limit censorship and give journalists the right to tell the truth and educate the public. This would create a relationship where employers are not able to deny news stories on the basis of a principle corporation’s interests. The facilitations of access to needed information, services and resources is another primary ideal of social justice in which the activists fighting Big Media have made strides to sustain. Every organization makes sure that the public, especially students, has access to information that the corporate tends to disguise through their manipulation of the media. This access is arguably the most important aspect of social justice. Finally, the support of meaningful participation in decision-making for all people is the last ideal in the framework of social justice. This ideal is very important in terms of government propaganda as well as news stories. These organizations work to keep the public informed, because if they are not informed the right to meaningful participation in decision-making is taken away. People must be able to choice which stories they want to read about, the corporate elite should not make this decision for them, and organizations challenging the media monopoly work to maintain this right.

Contending Perspectives Among Scholars

Overcoming the Shortcomings of Capitalism Revealed by Bowles, Edwards & Roosevelt

Background

In the text, Understand Capitalism, Written by Samuel Bowles,Richard Edwards and Frank Roosevel,a three-dimensional approach to economics, which in simple terms is refered to as political economy, is explained. The core values of the political economy discussed are efficiency, fairness and democracy. Efficiency speaks mostly to conserving the inputs of our economic system and not being wasteful, fairness calls for equal opportunity for all, and democracy needs citizens to have equal access to resources and influence and that influence on society must be accountable for its actions. <ref name= "Understanding Capitalism"> Bowles, Samuel, Richard Edwards, and Frank Roosevelt. Understanding Capitalism: Competition, Command, and Change. New York: Oxford UP, 2005. Print. </ref> By correctly following these criterions, social activists, such as those challenging the media conglomerate, can help overcome the shortcomings that have developed within capitalism.

Understanding Capitalism

Views on Media Monopoly

According to Bowles, Edwards & Roosevelt an economic debate must not only argue the “what is” in an economic system, but rather the “what should be”. As discussed above, the “what should be” argument consists of an efficient, fair and democratic system.<ref name= "Understanding Capitalism" /> Undesirably to a large majority of the country, these values have fallen to the wayside. Equal access to resources is no longer available in the fullest. Corporations have taken away that control in which these authors find imperative in the form of giant media conglomerates. Social activists, who have been challenging corporate media for decades, have made it their goal to achieve the goals set forth by political economy in order to in fact overcome the shortcomings of capitalism. Through educating the public on censorship, unreported news and holding corporations accountable, social activists are attempting to move towards a more fair system.

William Domhoff's Take on the Role of Mass Media in America

Background

William Domhoff is a professor from the University of California Santa Cruz. Domhoff is best known for his work Who Rules America? Who rules America focuses on the different groups that "rule" America today. This book focuses particularly on the influence and power of the corporate community and class Structure in American society. <ref name= "Domhoff">Domhoff, G. William. "The Role of Public Opinion." Who Rules America?: Challenges to Corporate and Class Dominance. Boston: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2010. 119-46. Print.</ref>

Views on Media Monopoly

William Domhoff expresses his feeling on the mass media in chapter five of his book Who Rules America? : Challenges to Corporate and Class Dominance. Domhoff explains how members of the power elite and corporate America own the majority of the mass media. However, Domhoff argues that this has no real effect or influence on public opinion. If this is in fact true, then the hundreds of millions of dollars a year spent by the power elite to control public opinion are simply wasted. A large number of social activists groups exist because they do feel that public opinion is in fact greatly influenced by the mass media. These different groups take diverse approaches in order to provide insight and services publically to any citizen willing to examine the role of media in American society further. Domhoff’s beliefs and the work of these social activism groups are directly correlated because the existence of these groups serves as a main reason why Domhoff’s belief pertaining to the mass media and public opinion is true (Public Opinion is not effected by the mass media even though the majority of it is owned by the power elite). Hypothetically speaking if the mass media was the only news source available for the public, the corporate world would have a larger influence on public opinion. In actuality, the media created by social activism provides other insights on what is going on in the world today.<ref name= "Domhoff"/>

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Domhoff

Gar Alperovitz's Case for Alternatives to Capitalism and the Obstacles Posed by the Media Monopoly

Background

Gar Alperovitz is a social activist and political economist who advocates for positive change and reforms to our current political-economic system in order to reclaim fundamental American ideals and values that have been suppressed by the current system in the United States. In his book, America Beyond Capitalism, he specifically discusses his growing concern for the state of democracy, liberty and equality within the United States and how a combination of elements defined by our current political-economic system have had the effect of undermining the very ideals upon which the nation was founded. He defines this phenomenon as the basis of a "systemic crisis", in which “the political-economic system must slowly lose legitimacy because the realities it produces contradict the values it proclaims” <ref name= "GA 3">Alperovitz, Gar. America beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our Wealth, Our Liberty, and Our Democracy. Hoboken, NJ: J. Wiley, 2005. Print. 3.</ref>

In Alperovitz’s writings, he emphasizes the need for an alternative to capitalism and how the development of such an alternative system will depend on the American public’s willingness to believe that change is in fact possible and not simply the product of utopian reveries in dark times. While he acknowledges that the notion of restructuring an entire political economic system may seem a daunting, if not unrealistic task, he provides convincing evidence to refute this notion by presenting a series of creative bottom up strategies that are being implemented in communities across the United States. He demonstrates how these strategies have allowed for the empowerment of their respective communities rather than that of the corporate elite.

Media-Octopus

Views on the Media Monopoly

One element contributing to the current systemic crisis is the existence of a growing media monopoly that is enabling corporations to exercise near-complete control over the content of information that is being disseminated by mass media outlets. This movement away from the media serving as a balanced and unbiased source of information, upon which policy and opinions are often shaped, is in effect impeding the democratic process by underrepresenting the opinions of various groups that make up a significant portion of the American population.

It is in this way that the corporate elite are able to support their own interests, thereby contributing to their wealth, and invoke censorship as needed to prevent threats to their interests, while maintaining the claim that they are providing a service to the masses. In a system that allows the few this degree of control over the many, the loss of liberties is imminent.

Alperovitz contends, based on the findings of prominent conservative sociologist Robert Nisbet that "[liberty] can be enhanced by weakening the state… [or] it can be enhanced by protecting or bolstering the position of the individual.” He continues, “A critical way to support the individual… is to nurture the kinds of “intermediate institutions” that stand between the lone individual and the state, thereby providing both social support and a buffer against centralized power” <ref name= "GA 35">Alperovitz, Gar. America beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our Wealth, Our Liberty, and Our Democracy. Hoboken, NJ: J. Wiley, 2005. Print. 35.</ref>

In support of this hypothesis, social activists have long been devoting their efforts and resources to counteracting these potentially disastrous side-effects of maintaining a capitalistic system, through the creation of a number of diverse initiatives aimed toward addressing the underlying issues contributing to the problem, as well as challenging the perpetrators and holding them accountable to their actions.

Yates Relating the Media's Control to Unions

Background

Unions

In his text,Why Unions Matter, Michael Yates dicusses why in this day in age unions still matter. The text describes the basics of how unions are formed, structured, and how they operate. He then goes into detail on matters on unions such as collective bargaining, the politics of the sytem,how race, gender and sexuality take effect within unions and finally what the future holds. The aspect of the text that relates directly to challenging the media monopoly is the control discussed that corporations and employers have over unions in the media as well. <ref ="Yates"> Yates, Michael. "Why Unions." Why Unions Matter. New York: Monthly Review, 2009. 38-39. Print.</ref>

Views on Media Monopoly

As Michael Yates describes in his text, employers, especially those in big corporations, rarely have a favorable view of unions. They do not see them as beneficial or necessary. This is because it takes away a portion of the control that employers hold over their employees. Corporations have been shown to also exhibit control over the media. As a result, unions are rarely presented in a favorable light in the media. News stories talk of violence breaking out during a strike, but it is seldom discussed that that strike was started by employers in the first place. Understanding that this unfavorable view has been perpretrated by corporation is very important for unions workers. They must be educated on the fact that their employers lie whenever it is in their interests and that repeated propaganda has disguised and hidden the very nature of the American society. The way in which the American society has been manipulated by the corporate elite in terms of union portrayal is directly mimicked in the way in which news stories have been undereported or prejudiced. Social activists understand this notion and the need to reform what has become the status quo.

Activist Organizations

FAIR: Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting

Background

FAIR is a national media watch group. The organization is anti-censorship and calls for more diversity in the media. they scrutinize modern media practices and work to defend the jounalists who voices are constantly muzzled. FAIR works with both journalists and activists across the country to construcitvely critize news outlets as well as provide hard hitting journalism of their own. FAIR sees issues within manymedia businesses including, corporate ownership, advertiser influence, official agendas, telecommunication policy, the PR industry, pressure groups, the narrow range of debate, censorship and finally sensationalism. <ref name= "FAIR 100">"What's FAIR?" FAIR: Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting. Web. 09 May 2012. <http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=100>. </ref>

Author's Perspectives

Bowles, Edwards & Roosevelt

According to FAIR, the media corporations are far too comfortable with the politicians they should be watchdogging. Because of this, the organization believes that a structural reform within the media monopoly is critical. A reform of this type would allow the organization to overcome some of the inadequacies seen within capitalism. The media conglomerate that has developed in our society is controlling the news that the public has access to. FAIR disagrees with this conglomerate and wants to make news outlets fair again, as their name states. The independent media outlets that FAIR strives to enhance would bring the American society closer to the ideals of the political economy.<ref name= "FAIR 100"/>

Domhoff

FAIR coincides with Domhoff's beliefs because it provides a different perspective on the news that cannot be found in the mass media. FAIR does this by providing non- censored news to its followers which results in more diversified news. The existence of organization such as FAIR, provide other news forms other than the mass media, because of these organizations Domhoff believes that the Mass Media has a minimal effect on society.

Alperovitz

Though Alperovitz does not explicitly discuss the Media Monopoly in great detail, it is clear that his beliefs fall in line with those of FAIR. Like Alperovitz, FAIR believes that while gradual steps must be taken in order to incite sustainable change to the current political-economic system, that structural reform is crucial to the maintenance of the foundation of values upon which the United States was built. On their website, FAIR further specifies that "structural reform is ultimately needed to break up the dominant media conglomerates, establish independent public broadcasting and promote strong non-profit sources of information." <ref name= "FAIR 100" />

Yates

FAIR works hard to limit censorship within the media by exposing neglected media. As Yates describes, the favorable view of unions or an unfavorable view of the employers who instigate union strikes is left out of the media. This idea directly reflects the censorship in which FAIR wants to get rid of.

Center for Media and Democracy's PR Watch

Background

The Center for Media Democracy (CMD) is a non-profit investigative reporting group that focuses on exposing corporate spin and government propaganda. The public interest group is national, independent, non-partisan and accepts no government or for-profit corporate funding. <ref name= "PR Watch">"About Us." Center for Media and Democracy. Web. 09 May 2012. <http://www.prwatch.org/cmd>. </ref>

Ways in which CMD Educates the Public:

• Publishes online magazines, PR Watch and The Spin
• Manages SourceWatch
• Launches original investigations
• Supports strategic public education campaigns

Author's Perspectives

Bowles, Edwards & Roosevelt

PR Watch’s avid belief that corporation’s spinning news stories in their favor must be exposed, as well as the mass amount of government propaganda will allow them to work towards overcoming the inadequacies of capitalism. Their investigative reporting is a way in which the organization attempts to bring fairness and a democratic view to media. One of the organizations main beliefs is the need to protect democracy by creating informed citizens. They also protect democracy through holding the powerful accountable. By protecting democracy, PR Watch would also help bring fairness and equality to the forefront of society. <ref name= "PR Watch"/>

Domhoff

By educating the public, launching innovative investigations, and much more this organization decreases the role of mass media in America. By lessing the role of mass media this organization helps support Domhoff's view of mass media (it does not affect public opinion).

Alperovitz

Through their investigative reporting, CMD aids in spreading awareness of key factors and policies that may be interfering in individual liberties, securities and the health of democracy in the United States and provides a space for citizen participation in a dialogue pertaining to the implications of these discoveries and measures that can be taken to prevent or lessen the effects. The organization can in effect act as a medium for transmitting information that is frequently omitted from the 'Big Media' programming.

By providing an alternative to conventional news sources (those owned by corporations), CMD is able to expand the flow of information to include critical analysis of stories regarding corporations, government agencies and industries. Furthermore, they promote citizen journalism allowing for the empowerment of individuals and communities by giving them a voice to stand up against corporate media. <ref name= "PR Watch" />

Within his text, America Beyond Capitalism, Alperovitz exemplifies his belief that the empowerment of individuals can help fuel structural change within a political economic system by presenting a series of cases in which such reforms were carried out in smaller communities. As individuals are able to obtain more say in the decisions that affect their own lives and the lives around them, the balance of power shifts, in effect diminishing the influence of those creating the systemic crisis that is threatening the liberties of citizens and democracy.

Yates

Similar to FAIR, PR Watch works vigorously to limit media censorship. This censorship relates directly to Yates in the same way that FAIR does.

Media Education Foundation: documentary films. challenging media.

Background

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The mission of the Media Education Foundation is to inspire the American public to critically think about the social, political and cultural impact on mass media, through documentary films. The foundation is a non profit organization, which aspires to help shape the way young people think about race,class, gender, health and political participation in Democracy in order to strengthen the voice of independent, non-corporate media. From examples of misogyny and sexism within pop culture to the war on oil, the MEF tries to spark discussions in the classroom about some of the most complex, yet critical issues of our time. <ref name="MEF">"About MEF | Media Education Foundation." About MEF. Web. 09 May 2012. <http://www.mediaed.org/wp/about-mef>.</ref>

Author's Perspectives

Bowles, Edwards & Roosevelt

Education is, or should be, a priority in the American society. Through attaining a more educated public, one also realizes more efficient, fair, and democratic values throughout society’s ways of thinking and actions. The critical thinking and discussions that are sparked through education are what MEF believes is crucial to achieving the aforementioned values. This essential knowledge is the way in which the organization is striving to reform capitalism. The documentary films distributed by MEF encompass a large array of issues not commonly discussed. By giving students access to these films, a sense of fairness and democracy is achieved where everyone has equal opportunity and access to the information presented in these films that corporations may otherwise try to hide. The idea of using films for education is also more efficient because the inputs being used to create the films are not only going towards entertaining an audience, but rather educating them while simultaneously bettering society. <ref name="MEF"/>

Domhoff

The Media Education Foundation provides documentary films which adds more perspective to a broad range of issues in America and around the world. Providing these insights decreases the role of mass media and supports Domhoff's perception of the mass media (it does not effect public opinion).

Alperovitz

Both the Media Education Foundation and Alperovitz agree that the stimulus for the sustainable restructuring of the political economic system lies in the promotion of education and the development of new ideas and solutions. Alperovitz places a strong emphasis on providing opportunities that contribute to the empowerment of individuals so as to motivate them to think about the future and possible longer-term systemic transformation as a real possibility. <ref name= "GA 234">Alperovitz, Gar. America beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our Wealth, Our Liberty, and Our Democracy. Hoboken, NJ: J. Wiley, 2005. Print. 234.</ref>

The Media Education Foundation exposes young people to exactly the kind of knowledge and mental stimulation on culturally relevant subjects that will give them a well-rounded and informed view of societal conditions and depict the urgent need for change in this country. By informing young people of the inequalities that are inherent in this political system, values of social responsibility, liberty, democracy and equality are being instilled in the future of the United States. In addition, creativity stems from a firm grasp on critical thinking and exposure to varying stimuli and Alperovitz makes it very clear that creativity will be crucial in the development of a system that could replace capitalism in America.

Yates

Project Censored exposes the media and provides certain groups, such as unions, with more power by reporting stories from different perspective.

Project Censored: Media Democracy in Action

Background

Project Censored was founded by Carl Jensen in 1976. The organization's mission is to present students and the public with the News stories that are underreported, ignored, misrepresented, or censored by the US corporate media. They also make it their priority to educate students on the role of free press in a free society. Over the past 30 years, through their partnership with SSU, Project Censored has trained over 1,500 SSU (Sonoma State University) students in investigative research in order to protect the American public against modern censorship. The organization defines modern censorship as subtle, yet constant and sophisticated manipulation of reality in our mass media outlets. The organization's list of the top 25 most censored nationally ranked news stories tries to counteract corporate media censorship as best as it can.<ref name= "Project Censored"> "ABOUT | Project Censored." Project Censored. Web. 09 May 2012. <http://www.projectcensored.org/about/>. </ref>

Author's Perspectives

Bowles, Edwards & Roosevelt

By holding the media outlets accountable for declining certain news stories and working to give journalists and editors control over news stories (rather than CEOs and managers, Project Censored is trying to overcome the shortcomings of capitalism. Accountability is most prominent in politics, but Project Censored researchers are relentless in also holding Big Media accountable for the decisions they make regarding censorship.<ref name= "Project Censored"/>

Fairness & Democracy are two of the key values of political economy described in “Understanding Capitalism”. <ref name= "Understanding Capitalism"/> Project Censored believes devoutly in equal opportunity, for all journalists and their news stories, and equal access to media resources for the public. Fighting to bring these aspects of the aforementioned values to the forefront of the media democracy is crucial to the organization reforming aspects of capitalism. In terms of efficiency, the third value of political economy, project censored ideals would overcome the wastefulness of spending time and money to censor the media and make sure only that that is useful to capitalist is presented to the public. This is not what people want, according to the organization people simply want to hear the truth about the powerful.<ref name= "Project Censored"/>

Domhoff

Project Censored attacks the Media Monopoly head on by providing insight to citizens on issues in American society that are overlooked, or censored by the mass media. This direct attack expands the overall spectrum of the media, which decreases the power of the mass media, supporting Domhoff's view on the matter (mass media does not effect public opinion).

Alperovitz

Project Censored provides resources to the public that serve the purpose of not only making available the opinions, views and beliefs of a diverse set of individuals to the masses but it also educates the public in the various ways in which the media is manipulated and censored to convey certain messages that benefit those in charge, or in the very least do not hurt them. Jensen, the founder of Project Censored, valued the upholding of civil liberties and his first ammendment rights and in founding this organization, pledged his dedication to the protection of the American public from corporate and government censorship.

Alperovitz discusses the potential for "Reclaiming our Wealth, our liberty and our democracy" in terms of the division that has developed over time between socio-economic classes defined by wealth inequality. The growing inbalance of power that exists between the corporate world and the public is widening the gap between their interests and have rendered these groups in opposition of one another. Corporations attempt to keep the public in check by controlling the information that reaches them and spinning stories in subtle enough ways that the content of these storiesis perceived unquestioningly as the truth. This not only poses a direct threat to democracy but also infringes upon the civil liberties of American citizens. Additionally, this contributes to the widening gap in wealth as divided between income groups.

By drawing light to the widespread manipulation of media, Project Censored forces the average individual to take a second look at what they are being exposed to and analyze the validity of the content being presented. This in effect, can help minimize the effects of these routine violations upon American values.

Yates

The center for Media Democracy limits the role of the Mass media and grants more power to organization such as unions, which Yate's views an essential part of society.

Center for Digital Democracy

Background

The Center for Digital Democracy (CCD) is a leading consumer protection and privacy organization who is at the forefront of research, public education, and advocacy for protecting consumers. They aspire to keep consumers, as well as policy makers and the press, informed on contemporary digital marketing issues.<ref name= "CDD"> "About CDD." Center for Digital Democracy. Web. 09 May 2012. <http://www.democraticmedia.org/about-cdd>.</ref>

Issues Researching

• Digital health issues
• Digital marketing
• Digital Privacy
• Youth digital marketing

Author's Perspectives

Bowles, Edwards & Roosevelt

In the digital age, most of what we learn and do is centered around the internet. CDD is focused on protecting the rights on consumers on the internet through research and education. From digital marketing, to public health, to financial services, CDD is focused on presenting the necessary information to consumers, policy makers and the press. This public education is key to bringing fairness to the media monopoly.

Domhoff

The center for digital democracy limits the role of mass media by informing consumers on digital marketing threats. The information they provides acts as a shield protecting consumers from an overwhelming influence coming from the mass media, which supports Domhoff's view (mass media does not shape public opinion).

Alperovitz

Though many of the aforementioned activist groups placed their focus upon issues of censorship and spinning the media, CDD is unique from the others in its analysis of how corporations exercise their influence over the masses using advertising and marketing techniques. As mentioned above, Alperovitz was very critical of any kind of influence the corporate elite could exercise over the individual decisions of American citizen, thereby endangering their rights. By providing in-depth analysis of the various devices that are used to sway and cheat unsuspecting consumers to the public, CDD is providing them with the tools necessary to not only identify these devices of manipulation but also recognize their prevalence within American society.

Yates

Similar to MEF, CDD is focused on keeping the public informed. The comparisons to Yates are the same as in MEF.

References

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