Conglomerates
and the Media
by Erik Barnouw, Eric Barnouw,
Todd Gitlin (Introduction)
Reviews
Boston Globe
Miller's essay on the degeneration of the
publishing industry is a model of modulated analysis and curl-your-hair
passion.
Mother Jones
Filled with excellent work on the creeping
global reach of mass media.
Booklist
Provocative critiques, gracefully expressed.
Book Description
An examination of the effects on increasing
conglomerate control of news and culture, by nine leading insiders and
critics. What are the effects of increasing conglomerate ownership on the
creation and dissemination of news and culture? Available for the first
time in paperback, these nine essays by leading media insiders and critics
take probing, critical looks at the dramatic changes of recent years. Opening
with a fascinating overview of radio and television history by Erik Barnouw,
the "dean of American media critics," the first part of the book features
longtime media insiders such as Richard M. Cohen (former CBS Evening
News senior producer) and Gene Roberts (managing editor of the New
York Times), writing candidly on the effects of increasing profit expectations
in the newsroom. In the second part of the book, prominent media analysts,
such as Mark Crispin Miller (author of Boxed In), Thomas Schatz (author
of The
Genius of the System), David Lieberman (USA Today), and
Patricia Aufderheide (In These Times), discuss the dumbing-down
of the publishing industry, the transformation of Hollywood the increasing
importance of merchandising and foreign rights in all media, and the false
promise of the digital age. Finally, Thomas Frank (The
Baffler) examines advertising and the possibility of resistance
to conglomerate control of the media. Contributors include: Patricia Aufderheide,
professor of communication at American University; Erik Barnouw, author
of A
History of Broadcasting in the United States; Richard Cohen, former
senior producer of the CBS Evening News; Thomas Frank, editor-in-chief
of The Baffier; Todd Gitlin, author of The
Twilight of Common Dreams; David Lieberman, media analyst at USA
Today; Mark Crispin Miller, author of Boxed In; Gene Roberts,
managing editor of the New York Times; and Tom Schatz, author of
The
Genius of the System.
Customer Comments
breefree@juno.com or bcfreema@syr.edu
from Syracuse, New York, December 10, 1997
Essays providing insight into a growing
area of concern.
It is difficult to read Conglomerates
and not be alarmed at the growing media control by a few major companies.
The book begins with an insightful introduction by noted scholar Todd Gitlin
and includes essays from Mark Crispin Miller (Johns Hopkins scholar and
author of Boxed
In) and David Leiberman (USA Today), among other prominent writers.
This book is a must have if you want to gain an understanding of what's
happening with media monopolies; Bagdikian fans rejoice! However, it is
not chalk full o' references, so students looking for cites to follow may
be disappointed. In the introduction, Gitlin echos an earlier statement
by Niel Postman (author of Amusing
Ourselves to Death): "Big Brother
isn't looming, Brave New World is."
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