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Scribbler1 · Aug 3, 2004, 12:29 am

The biggest concern I have is not what the conglomerate-owned media outlets are doing, but what they CAN do. Don't the people EVER get it? Nobody does anything quickly anymore, as they learned some time ago to let people "get used to" a slowly evolving situation so at any given time it seems normal. Some people complain about how government has changed, or society's morals have eroded, but most don't and the reason is that it "seems" normal to them. Those with a stake in any kind of change that would be unpopular know what the public outcry would be and just take their time and make these changes gradually.
For example, we take the quality of our air as a given, it's nasty but whaddya gonna do. Besides, we're "used to it". But hop into the old time machine and bring an American from 100 years ago into the here and now and watch him retch when he takes his first lungful. Then watch him call for the execution of all parties responsible for the pollution.

So the media giants take their time and slowly shift their programming towards whatever they want. Do they like conservatives? Easy to subtly shift the focus of their programming towards their guy. Or, what if they like (gasp) LIBERALS? That's easy too! Of course a few people will notice it but most wont, and the few who do will just argue the point on the internet and be dismissed as cranks.
It's just another example of the frog and the pot of water story, and even the people who bitch about how society has changed for the worse don't even get it.

That's the future problem. The more immediate concern is the tendency for big corporations to think with the mind of the CEO and that could cripple diversity. These days we pay lip service to the idea of the U.S. owing its very existence to diversity but not that many welcome it today, which makes us a poorer society for it. Example: Howard Stern vs. Clear Channel. You dislike Stern, "hooray Clear Channel". You like Stern, "Boo Clear Channel". No big deal, right? Now take your favorite radio host or TV personality (either political side) and have him booted off his radio network, which is owned by a company (or group of companies) which controls 90% of the "public" airwaves. Where does your guy go? THEN you'd yell censorship but it would be too late as most of your fellow Americans would see the situation as "just the way it is". Scary, huh?

I use the Clear Channel story for a reason. Of course it's fine to give the gate to someone you don't like when YOU own the company. That is your absolute right. But what if you owned ALL the companies?

Aug 3, 2004, 12:29 am	#6 (permalink) (top)
Scribbler1 Skeptical Patriot Posts: 7,746	The biggest concern I have is not what the conglomerate-owned media outlets are doing, but what they CAN do. Don't the people EVER get it? Nobody does anything quickly anymore, as they learned some time ago to let people "get used to" a slowly evolving situation so at any given time it seems normal. Some people complain about how government has changed, or society's morals have eroded, but most don't and the reason is that it "seems" normal to them. Those with a stake in any kind of change that would be unpopular know what the public outcry would be and just take their time and make these changes gradually. For example, we take the quality of our air as a given, it's nasty but whaddya gonna do. Besides, we're "used to it". But hop into the old time machine and bring an American from 100 years ago into the here and now and watch him retch when he takes his first lungful. Then watch him call for the execution of all parties responsible for the pollution. So the media giants take their time and slowly shift their programming towards whatever they want. Do they like conservatives? Easy to subtly shift the focus of their programming towards their guy. Or, what if they like (gasp) LIBERALS? That's easy too! Of course a few people will notice it but most wont, and the few who do will just argue the point on the internet and be dismissed as cranks. It's just another example of the frog and the pot of water story, and even the people who bitch about how society has changed for the worse don't even get it. That's the future problem. The more immediate concern is the tendency for big corporations to think with the mind of the CEO and that could cripple diversity. These days we pay lip service to the idea of the U.S. owing its very existence to diversity but not that many welcome it today, which makes us a poorer society for it. Example: Howard Stern vs. Clear Channel. You dislike Stern, "hooray Clear Channel". You like Stern, "Boo Clear Channel". No big deal, right? Now take your favorite radio host or TV personality (either political side) and have him booted off his radio network, which is owned by a company (or group of companies) which controls 90% of the "public" airwaves. Where does your guy go? THEN you'd yell censorship but it would be too late as most of your fellow Americans would see the situation as "just the way it is". Scary, huh? I use the Clear Channel story for a reason. Of course it's fine to give the gate to someone you don't like when YOU own the company. That is your absolute right. But what if you owned ALL the companies? Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.