The Consolidation of Ownership of the Media

    consolidation

-Review:
 --transformation into mediated politics with focus on images and symbolism
--potential for manipulation with simulation, fear
--since private enterprise, ratings determine content, not what is necessary to have educated citizenry

    When citizens not informed, like "deaf spectators in back row of sports event" 

Tonight:  What impact does media ownership have on both content and diversity of perspectives presented to public?

              Do we still have a "marketplace of ideas"?
              Are the media fulfilling their mandate to provide news in the public interest?

A. structure of media industry and impact on news coverage decisions
   1. history:
      a. 1934, first legislation  Federal Communications Commission
        --provided free licenses to public airwaves to private companies
        --stations providing public service to citizens w/ information in exchange
        --broadcasters limited by range of signal, diverse ownership

2.  FCC mandate: "democracy is best protected by widest dissemination of ideas to citizens from antagonistic sources"
    a. "marketplace of ideas" model
    b. censorship limited in deference to free range of ideas/perspectives
    c. public has capacity to recognize good, discard bad arguments -JS Mill
    d. media can model deliberation & public argumentation, help us decide on policy

    b. 1996 Telecommunications Act  modified
      1. need to revise regulation w/ internet, cable, expansion of  technology
      2. intent was to increase competition between broadcasters  through deregulation
           a. relaxed ownership rules, 
           b. made it easier for some companies to buy larger media share

      3. licenses to broadband frequencies still granted free   (worth $367billion) a year
         a. only requirement was need to provide access to all citizens (public service announcements)
         b. reduced fees for libraries, schools, hospitals
         c. "wire"  all classrooms
      4. range of signal almost global w/ improved technology
      5. ownership rules reviewed every two years

  c. most significant part virtually unknown to public
     1. deregulation resulted in possibility of mergers
       a. 1983, 50 companies controlled majority of media outlets own
       b. 2009,  6 companies control almost all global media outlets   09

  2. result is "hypercommercialization" and consumerism
        a. vertical integration of industry
        b. ad saturation across media outlets

  3. continuing conglomeration & convergence
       a. deregulation makes it legal
       b. technology  expands possibilities for growth

  4.  major impact on radio station ownership   cc  
     a. pre-1996, stations restricted to only 2 in a local market, 28 nationwide 
     b. Clear channel-
        -from 36-  1,200+ radio stations
        -700,000 billboards
       -owns largest promotion company, SFX (merged w/ ticketmaster)
       -controls play of records, controls popularity
       -"pay for play", charges fee from promotion company to play music
        - huge 'economy of scale' makes it difficult to compete with 

   c. "cross-ownership" of tv & newspapers in single city  increasing  rules

d. impact on coverage
   1.  homogenized coverage  "mono-culture"d  
     a. not politically biased as much as unquestioning of "status quo"  
     b. many choices, fewer voices,  avoid controversy, blandness  
    
     c. neglect of local issues/concerns
             1. "voice-tracking" used, illusion of local broadcasts from central location
          2. no recourse when content is offensive to local community 
          3. decisions made in far-distant corporate offices
          4. less accountable to local community
   
 d. music choices also limited by concentration of ownership
           1. no possibility of local artist building following local media, as in past
           2.  chains require "pay for play"
           3. cost of concerts up, not going to artists
           4. concern expressed across the ideological spectrum country    futureofmusic

  2. small isolated "wild" domains, alternative media,
       a. public TV, radio, non-profit, independent decreasing
       b. size makes it difficult to compete, keep from being swallowed up
       c. increase in fines means only large companies can pay them
   
  3.  localism and diversity are diminished
     a. further erodes social capital and local community
       1. competition is diminished
       2. low-band FM radio challenged by media giants  FCC page

         a. pirate radio, 3.5 mile range
         b. "non-commercial educational broadcast"
         c. limited by "Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act" 2000
            1. concerned about "interference" 
            2. declared unconstitutional in 2002

 4. limited diversity in ownership, (female, minority-owned diminishing)  chrt
      a. concern that fewer viewpoints are represented
      b. some news might be downplayed on mainstream channels

 4. political reality becomes what is covered in media

  a. camera lens represents public "eye"
  b. if not covered, didn't happen in minds of public
     
    1. limited range of viewpoints presented -- "public agenda is set" by fewer companies  

    2. production and distribution of "meaning" controlled by fewer and fewer
       a. analogy to Orwell's 1984--but megacorporations not government
       b.  possibility of manipulation & control (opposite of freedom) 

       c. clearly not meeting  requirement of  informed public

5. citizens  viewed as consumers primarily
   a. merging of market & public
   b. primary responsibility of companies is to stockholders, not public interest 
   c. regulations allow it  (McChesney article describes this)

  d. attracting viewers, maintaining high ratings is most important
      1.not making ppl "eat spinach" either
      2. give ppl what they want, not what they need

    3. public interest subsumed under private interests
        1. what sells is what is played
        2. public distracted by "spectacles"
        3. issue coverage focused on  drama, entertainment  

b. consequences for election- (public interest)
 
       1. very profitable time for television/radio stations  
           a. charge special fee to guarantee airing of political ads
           b. limits campaigns to those who have substantial cash
           c. drives up cost of elections
       2. many stations also unwilling to do public service ads
       3. diminishment of quality of child programming

c. company censorship of news and info
  1. "firewall" between advertising and news breaking down
    a. Clear Channel, "pay for play" policies
    b. controversial music/stories not aired
    c. SIXTY MINUTES, tobacco company coverage example


REVIEW and Continuation of last week- (3/11/09)

Internet Policy and potential for Digital Democracy

Big concern:

If media is the best way to give citizens the knowledge they need to make informed decisions, are they currently fulfilling their role? What options are available for them?
-concern with form and content of information
   -image-based, highly sensationalized
   -no context provided, no alternative viewpoints
   -based on ratings, since private, for profit industry
   -not fulfilling public service of either providing info nor modelling deliberation

-concentration of ownership of media outlets (radio, tv)
  -sameness of offerings
  -limit to local coverage,
  -limit to diversity
   -big players swallow up smaller, more diverse voices

What can be done?

Possible Solutions:
   a. encourage civic journalism
      1. some stations voluntarily try to provide relevant coverage
      2. ex.  Wisconsin
      3. show how news connects to policy  

  b. structural reform through government action
     1. legislation to limit monopolies and mergers
     2. McChesney: overturn much of 1996 Telecommunications Bill
        a. airwaves are public resources, not leased to corporations
        b. demand more corporate responsibility (2 minute petition)
        c. campaigns--candidate coverage for free in return for licenses granted

   c. support and encourage alternative media sources  local access
      1. community radio & internet service providers
      2. independent radios
      3. growing importance of blogs 
             a. acknowldgement that it is viewed as new media outlet
            b.  accreditation from Media Bloggers Association- coverage of 2008 campaign
            c. varies widely in quality/bias/profitability
    4. local media radio act  tpe

d.  need for new economic model that eases transition of ownership
    1.  currently private markets dominate  media ownership
    2. movement made towards public ownership to save journalism
       a. newspapers are losing money, cable are seeing audience decline
       b. public interest in ensuring diversity of coverage/sources
    3. Wisconsin Investigative News initiative

 e. community action to demand "public" interest be represented

    1. 1970, Boston, petition to remove license from TV station
       a. bad news coverage
       b. successful
    2. civil rights movement not covered in Mississippi by radio station
        a. marchers used social networks, churches, etc. to pass knowledge
        b. station lost license eventually
        c. justified by public right to know

f. make certain public interest represented in design of new communication technology   RtM

    1. major legislation currently being decided about internet policy, internet infrastructure
        a. industry has lobbyists involved in process, advocating for policy initiatives
        b. public has little knowledge of technical issues involved,
             1. implications of policy decisions
             2. what might be possible, given policy model of other nations

  2. coalition of groups- industry, public interest, city & state
     a. meeting to come to consensus on new broadband policy, closer to agreement

 3. Issues of concern:
    A. broadband infrastructure and access
         1. US no longer in 'top ten' broadband access - speed, access, downloading capabilties
           a. rural areas get little coverage, i.e,, dial-up or nothing
           b. some places get none, would need satellite to have internet
           c. municipal use is relegated to poor parts of spectrum
       2. fiber-optic infrastructure is outdated, new 21st century grid needs to be invented
           a. benefits
               1. potential for new jobs constructing it
               2. stimulate e-commerce, tele-work, tele-medicine
               3. relieve strain on transportation system, lessen commutes
         b. concerns
               1. cost money to build
               2. conflicting concerns
                   a. govt ownership will increase taxes
                   b. big players will still dominate small players

    B. Delivery of information  'net neutrality'
        1. FCC does not define internet providers like phone companies
            a. 'common carrier' rules do not apply
            b. issue of  info discrimination in speed of download
                1. slower download for those who pay less
                2. slower download for those w/ politically unpopular views
                          a.. currently lobbying for rules in their favor  (insider knowledge)
                    b. public doesn't understand the issues (outsiders)
          c. potential for domination by few players- similar to music choices, radio policy

 C. allocation or de-regulation of spectrum
      1. concern that best lines auctioned off to highest bidder
         a. replicate structure of tv, radio
         b. At&T, verizon pushed for this

   2. defeated by blogosphere (750,000 signature on petition)
      a. savetheinternet campaign
      b. decision halted

  3. potential for use of 'white spaces' in spectrum
      a.  11/08 'unlicensed use of white spaces'
      b. wireless networks allow communities to design own media
         1. california tribes
         2. inner city chicago neighborhood
     c. restore localism and diversity of voices

 4. municipal broadband new 'civil right'
    a. all cities, all citizens have access to high speed internet
        1. easier for democracy to flourish, more choices available
       2. easier access for citizens to government, government to citizens
          a. emergency contacts, townhall meetings, etc.
          b. global access to information
 b. proposal to have one fiber to every home
     1. unlimited access to high speed info, media,
     2. competition to media giants, cable companies
     3. would require regulation to prevent 'spying'

D. continued access to public domain 'dotcommons'     

     1. build in dot-commons capabilities to design of new technologies ex
        a. a balance between market & govt-controlled sites
        b. restore "public" identity as citizen w/ "market identity as consumer
    2. universal broadband, even in rural areas
       a. far behind most other nations in broadband development
       b. poor,rural communities most likely to be left out
    3. save some of  spectrum for civic use
       a. communication between citizens and govt
       b. potentially free internet for every citizen