EOTO: Mainstream Media

The Power of Few

The umbrella topic of Mainstream Media (MS) deserves both marvel and incredulousness. Today, we see mainstream media everywhere. It is the giant corporations that own news channels such as CNN, Fox News, and NBC, other news outlets, as well as entertainment companies and print media. The three powerhouses of today's media are Disney, Comcast, and Paramount Global. Each of these monster conglomerations are worth billions upon billions of dollars. 

Apple: $2.74T

Comcast: $213.79B

Disney: $204.71B

Paramount Global: $23.49B

Fox: $21.06B

Research into the tangled web of MSM will uncover the idea that the companies listed above, and other top media companies own almost every other broadcasting, newscasting, advertising and entertainment company. These consolidations and buyouts have fed the media giants until they have teeth sunk directly into the country's, and world's, media. Apple, its net worth reaching the trillions over the past couple years, bought out Beats and Beats by Dre, as well as owning Apple TV, Apple Books, Apple Music, and the list goes on. Disney has acquired Hulu, ESPN, Disney+, ABC, 20th Century Fox, etc. Comcast own all of NBC as well as Sky, which is strange considering Comcast is a cable company. AT&T followed the same path, and now owns Warner Bros., CNN, HBO, and Cartoon Network. Fox News Media is owned by Fox Corporation, and one of the only popular news channels that is not owned by a different monopolizing company. 

How did we get here?

The timeline of Mainstream Media begins in the 15th century with Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. The press allowed quicker and wider distribution of print media, acting as the gateway to newspapers, pamphlets, magazines, etc. The newspaper originated in the 19th century, with The Times as the first mass-produced and published paper. The Industrial Revolution, hand-in-hand with media, allowed America to revolutionize the way that they distribute news. The early 20th century radio came next, and with it, the first opportunity to spread forms of media that are not printed. The radio provided both information and entertainment for a larger audience. According to the University of Minnesota's "The Evolution of Media," the invention of the radio also brought an increase in America's consumeristic qualities, in ways of fashion, music, products, materials, etc. Media was just one of the many trends becoming "mainstream." 

The first television sets were sold to the public in the late 1930s. After World War II, television's audience skyrocketed, and by the mid 50s, "two-thirds of American households owned at least one [TV] set." This new form of media communication combined both print and the radio to encompass both news and entertainment for the country. TV was originally solely broadcasting and ran by three major channels: NBC, CBS, and ABC. These three networks controlled more than 90% of television airtime. TV consisted of news broadcasts, daytime talk shows, movies and programs. It was not until the rise of cable TV in the 1980s that television became a huge umbrella for many versions of media. Now, America could choose from a large variety of channels to fit their media needs. News, sports, movies, shows, documentaries, nature, music, pop culture, and more categories now fell under television. 

Although television has become a modern gateway for companies to swallow others, and create monopolies over mainstream media, the government has *attempted* to enforce regulations. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was signed into place by President Clinton with the goal of decreasing conglomerate hold over television, by increasing competition between networks and channels. The act opened the telecommunications market by making it much easier for new companies to enter the market and compete with incumbent companies. In an attempt to regulate, this act deregulated stipulations on servicing and pricing for telecommunication companies, making it easier to stay afloat within the market. Interestingly enough, part of the act was ruled as a violation of 1st Amendment rights by the SC as it was trying to ban indecency and obscenities from media. Unfortunately, the Telecommunications Act (1996) actually worked opposite of its goal, and allowed the television industry to fall into the hands of a small number of major companies, again. Part of the Act was focused on decreasing the power of overarching media corporations, but by eliminating regulation of these companies, the government made it easier for channels like ABC and CBS to take over.

Echo Chambers

Mainstream media today creates a phenomenon called an echo chamber. This effect occurs when a person only consumes media and information that aligns with their own personal values, beliefs, and biases. It can be compared to party-line voting, which is when a person solely votes for Democrats or Republicans, not caring about the candidate themselves. Mainstream media in the modern worlds has turned extremely political, especially when watching news channels like Fox News and CNN. Because there is so much variety and options in media, people are able to pick and choose specifically what they want to consume within their echo chamber, and block out anything else. 

Mainstream media's takeover on American culture as also led to a steady decrease of media trust within the population. Companies that have little to nothing to do with public media completely run it, like wireless cell provider AT&T. Why are these companies controlling what I see and don't see on the 5 o'clock news? And why has $$ now become a huge influence over anything media-based? These topics are why Americans' trust in mass media has experienced a steady decline over the past decades (according to Pew Research Center). The chart below shows that the number of people who have little to no trust in America's mass media has increased from 1973 to 2023, and the amount of people who have a "great deal/fair amount" of trust has taken a steady decline.