Mass media ownership

The media plays various roles in society, the most common being to educate, entertain and inform the public. In order to fulfill its purpose and serve the interests of everyone alike, the media must retain a sense of independence and freedom from the government, political parties, and other members of society with enough power to influence the policies that govern society. The independence ensures that the media has no obligation to present or withhold information regarding an individual or organization if revealing it will achieve a common good for the public. While this gives the media a lot of power and influence over people, it also ensures that the information shared serves the interests of the general public and not a few individuals. However, shifts in the sphere of ownership in the mass media industry has created an environment where the media is greatly controlled or influenced by select groups and this has greatly impaired its function as a platform for everyone in society.

            Among the various organization that have significant influence over the media is Disney. The company is directly or indirectly associated with various media platforms ranging from sports, entertainment, news and films. The Walt Disney Company is a multinational mass media and entertainment with headquarters in Burbank, California. It is led by Robert Iger and together with his team, the company has acquired various assets and a position in society that allows it to have significant control over the media (Disney, 2019). The company has assets in both television and films as well as print media. Some of the media companies it owns include ESPN and Fox, not to mention the various Disney channels that showcase various programs, advertisements and other content from Disney.

            Organizations that end up owning the mass media often start out with the desire to better reach their target audience. Despite their intent however, controlling the media is a task that can be achieved by a select number of companies (Kaul, 2012). As such, those that are capable of reaching such lengths enjoy a great deal of power and benefits especially when they use the media as a platform to promote their interests. The consequences of select companies owning the mass media are however more severe because their effects are felt by both the companies in control and the general public as well.

            One of the major consequences resulting from select groups or individuals owning the media is the negative impact they cause on the content broadcasted. In today’s society, big corporations use the media to not only fuel their interests but at times to also mislead the public (Croteau & Hynes, 2006). Take the case of Disney for example. The company sells multiple products through the various companies it owns. Since the company also has some level of control over the media, it is able to dictate the content that is aired and thus can push the media to include more content about Disney. Since the number of companies that own the mass media are few, it therefore means that there is lesser information to broadcast especially when the companies focus more on their interests than they do towards informing the public (Disney, 2019). Disney for instance uses the various media platforms under its influence to promote its products and services as this gives the company a competitive edge. The time allocated to Disney however takes away from time that could have been used to report on issues affecting society and whose consequences affect the general public rather than one organization.

            There is also the issue where ownership of the mass media gives the owners too much power. Regardless of who owns and controls the media, it continues to have a significant level of control over members of the public. People rely on the media for information regarding their community. Community leaders, the weather, health, entertainment and other relevant information that affects their daily routines (Noam, 2016). When controlled by a select few, it means that those who control the media also control the type of information that is made available to the public through the mass media. As such, Disney can use its influence to prevent harmful information about the company from being shared by the media platforms it controls.

            The media has become a tool not just for the general public but also for the select few who own it. However, the interests of the public differ from those that own the media in that; the public seeks to be informed, educated and to use the media as a means of communicating as a community (Noam, 2009). Those that own the mass media however try to control the media such that its content creates opportunities for them and this is often done even with the risk of having negative consequences on the general public. Rather than informing the public about important agendas such as environmental sustainability, politics and other factors that help society the media tends to focus more on what the owners are doing (Noam, 2009). Most of the media content features information regarding products like the movies showcased by Disney, the launch of the Disney Park, ne gadgets in the market and other information mostly concerning the owners.

            In addition, the ownership of the mass media by companies like Disney have greatly challenged the media’s ability to play its role in society. The media for instance finds it challenging to carry out functions like storytelling and transmitting culture especially where they are not in line with the interests of the companies that own the media (Baker, 2006). Since the media content is often influenced by those that own the mass media, the content tends to suit their interest more than that of the public. Although the media does continue to address the needs of those in the public domain, their ability to do so fully and with no restriction has been curtailed by the involvement with other corporations such as Disney. The reach that the media provides has allowed Disney to advertise, inform and reach people from across the world through the media (Disney, 2019). The Disney parks, movies and products are a common occurrence on television, newspapers, magazines and other tools used by the mass media.

            An argument can be made that ownership of the mass media by select individuals and groups in no way affects the media’s ability to perform its purpose. The assumption is that, the power of the media lies in its ability to reach the people. For this power to remain sustainable, those that own the media must ensure that the media continues to serve the interests of the public like it did before their control. While this is true to some extent, it is also evident that the media has altered a lot in the way it reaches its audience. If the media is to retain its power and influence, there is a need for those who own it to try and give it the freedom to perform its duties to the general public and not just a select few.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Baker E, (2006) “Media concentration and democracy: Why ownership matters” Cambridge        University Press

Benkler Y, (2007) “The wealth of nations” Harvard University Press

Croteau, D., & Hoynes, W. (2006). The business of media: Corporate media and the public          interest. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Pine Forge Press.

Disney, (2019) “About Disney” retrieved from, https://www.disney.com/

Kaul V (2012) “The Changing World of Media & Communication”. Journal of Mass        Communication and Journalism 2:116. doi:10.4172/2165-7912.1000116

Noam M, (2009) “Media ownership an concentration in America” Oxford University Press

Noam M, (2016) “Who owns the word’s media: Media concentration and ownership around the   world” Oxford University Press