Corporate
Media and the Threat to Democracy (Open Media Pamphlet Series)
by Robert W. McChesney
Reviews
Amazon.com
If we believe that an informed populace
is an integral part of a successfully active democracy, writes Robert W.
McChesney, then the commercial basis of U.S. media, in which a substantial
number of media outlets are owned by a handful of corporations, is definite
cause for concern. When corporations control the flow of information, he
suggests, they will inevitably do so in a way that promotes their own interests
over those of the citizenry. From an analysis of the corporate influence
over the 1934 Communications Act to a discussion of how media convergence
might kill off hope of the Internet bringing about a revolution, he debunks
the myth of an objective, liberal media and emphasizes the belief that
issues of media ownership should be treated as matters of public policy
rather than strictly business.
Synopsis
The tremendous growth of the so-called information
superhighway has opened countless new channels for media, but only a very
few opportunities for control of these channels. In this book, the author
of Telecommunications,
Mass Media, and Democracy traces the emergence of the global media
monopoly, describes what the main players are up to, and details how the
Internet is being brought under their control.
Customer Comments
A reader from Eugene, Oregon, February 3, 1999
Cynicism. No thanks!
I read this book for a class in Communication
Theory and Criticism. The book was so cynical of what media is really about,
it made me question at time why I should even become a journalist, if corporate
America has such a hold over all forms of media.
A reader from Four Lakes,
Wisconsin, December 24, 1998
Short, Simple, Clear: Democracy is At
Stake
If you want a handy resource on media mergers
and corporate consolidation - This is the book for you.
receveur1@hotmail.com from
Virginia, August 31, 1998
One of the best books on the state of
democracy in America
This book is really amazing. So many events
happen within our country which are either not covered or are trivialized
to such an extent that people won't protest. Mr. McChesney cuts through
all of the media propaganda to provide a clear and coherent picture of
our media system as it now stands. Buy this book now. END
snowmachine@conknet.com
from Henniker, New Hampshire, November 6, 1997
Read this book.
If you get a little irritated and even downright
angry about the powerful agenda setters and the decline of publicly defined
power, you might want to consider "the five D's of Action:" Define corporate
media, Dissect it, Denounce it, Disrupt it, and finally Dismantle it. This
book is your manual for action. Nancy E. Snow, Peace Review
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