The State of American Media: Media Conglomeration in the United States and What Can Be Done to Fix the Media

The American media system needs to be reformed. While the media are supposed to be a powerful force in preserving our democracy, certain components have not been as vigilant lately. In the name of capitalism, once separate media companies have merged to form a powerful few. The so-called Big Six – AOL Time Warner, Disney, General Electric, News Corporation, Columbia Broadcasting Service and Viacom – control the mainstream media in the United States. Not only do these companies control television stations, but also publishing companies, newspapers, and Internet websites. Additionally, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation has its hands in every form of media across the globe. Thus, a select few are controlling a large portion of the message to the American people. As a result of this corporate expansion, the state of journalism has suffered with the emphasis now on the bottom line instead of honest and respectable journalism. The mainstream media have degenerated into partisan reporting on both sides of the political spectrum. Americans are beginning to consider political pundits, like Glenn Beck or journalistic lightweights like Barbara Walters, actual journalists. The healthcare reform debate highlights just how important the media are and how corrupted certain media groups have become. As the reform debate continues, the desire for profits appears to drive the media rather than a desire to report the truth. This can only prove deleterious to the American political system.