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The Problem of the Media

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Highlights

The first myth is that media do not matter that much—that they merely reflect reality, rather than shape it. In fact, media are a social force in their own right, and not just a reflection of other forces. — location: 66 ^ref-44235

the vision of a free press held during the first few generations of the republic was diametrically opposed to the contemporary idea that a free press means letting media owners do whatever they can to maximize profit. — location: 74 ^ref-41413

resultant media system is so deeply flawed: it is set up to serve the needs of a relative handful of profit-seeking corporations and wealthy investors. — location: 85 ^ref-43854

Right-wing media bashing and commercial journalism, rather than being antagonistic, constitute a marriage made in heaven. — location: 98 ^ref-42780

Not only does the market not necessarily give us what we want, but it also gives us plenty of what we do not want. In particular, the commercial media system has generated a hyper-commercial carpet bombing of our culture that is decidedly unwelcome by much of the population. — location: 107 ^ref-18509

These satellite and the Internet technologies themselves are the direct result of policies and subsidies. How they are going to be developed is not predetermined. It has everything to do with explicit policies, and commercial pressures wrought by those policies. Indeed, powerful commercial interests use this myth to prevent the public from pursuing alternative policies. — location: 116 ^ref-4609

the options are usually presented as one of corporate control versus one of government control. Jefferson or Stalin. — location: 120 ^ref-65267

a democratic media system—or a democratic solution to the problem of the media, as I put it—would necessitate a large, well-funded, structurally pluralistic, and diverse nonprofit and noncommercial media sector, as well as a more competitive and decentralized commercial sector. — location: 125 ^ref-62413

the core problems of the U.S. media system—inadequate journalism and hyper-commercialism— — location: 134 ^ref-4847

the corporate media system is deeply flawed and a barrier to a decent and humane society and that the solution to the problem of the media is increased public participation, it is not enough to write books. There is an obligation to write popular articles, to give public lectures, to organize. — location: 149 ^ref-38920