Thank God we still have students who can THINK. (((This is a GOOD read.))

[BigBearJohn]

Thank God we still have students who can THINK. There may be hope for this world afterall.

Mark: Five corporations own the vast majority of our media (Viacom, News Corporation, Time Warner, Disney, General Electric in the U.S.). As a result, the mainstream news is presented through a narrow lens with little diversity, skepticism or alternate perspectives.

We've entrusted our media to the "invisible hand" of an unregulated marketplace and suffered dearly. The federal government and the media are enjoying an intimate relationship, supporting one another via relaxed policies and generous pro-government "news," respectively. In turn, the public is alienated from their own culture, armed only with a streamlined, easy-to-swallow news tablet.

Corporate interest takes precedence over public interest in our current media system. A recent Pew Research Center/Columbia Journalism Review survey suggests that nearly half (41 percent) of local and national journalists have neglected or diluted the tone of their stories to comply with the interests of their news organizations. Are we getting the news as it is, or the news according to corporate America?

The Big Five offer an illusion of variety by providing multiple channels and programs. The only real difference between the major news stations (save Fox and its lunacy) is the channel they occupy on your television set.

http://www.gonzagabulletin.com/media/paper375/news/2005/09/23/Opinion/American.Media.Competition.Independence.Effectiveness-996413.shtml

[BigBearJohn]

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