Book Review "The New Media Monopoly" Ben Bagdikian-updated 2004


Bagdikian’s the man


In Ben Bagdikian’s The New Media Monopoly, the author critically analyzes the media with a focus on the conglomerates effect on the mass media with corporations’ advertising contributing a close second causing the destruction of independent thought, independent control and trustworthiness of the major branches of media, most notably newspaper, radio, television, and magazines.
The writing is crisp and very dry throughout. A few instances of humor arise when Bagdikian speaks about George W. Bush, calling him “Bush the Younger”. Other than these few instances, the tone is too informative with few sprinkles of personality or closeness to the reader. We are all doomed, have been doomed for a few decades, and very little stands in the way before the government and corporations control all thoughts coming from the media. This book may be a precursor to the Orwellian world from 1984. Big brother is the corporations and they have taken our voice.
Although the writing lacks any real style, Bagdikian loads up on the information. He begins by telling brief histories of all the “Big Five”. The five largest media companies in the world, frequently in bed with each other, that control virtually all media. He starts with the innocent beginnings as struggling companies to media giants killing anything good in the world, including independence from the “Big Five”.
He sites real examples of chain newspapers techniques using quotes from leaders of the industry and the affected independents gobbled up before and after the event. The endnotes are very precise and lead belief in the legitimacy of Bagdikian’s claims. He writes about Gannett (the largest newspaper chain in the United States with 94 daily circulation newspapers to date). He specifically attacks President, CEO and Chairman of Gannett Allen Harold Neuharth, “More than anyone else in American newspaper publishing, Neuharth reversed the public posture of corporate journalism.” Gannett is the big bad wolf in this story of greed and corporate cooption of the media. Bagdikian shows us the insanity of monopolies in metropolitan areas of the United States compared to those in other industrialized parts of the world yet to consolidate. “In London, for example, there are twelve daily papers; in Paris, thirty-three; in Tokyo, thirty-one.” This basic fact screams to the lack of diversity presented to the American public by the media.
Bagdikian relays a story specifically showing the power of the media to all points of our interest. Richard E. Berlin, president and CEO of the Hearst Corporation in New York, wrote a letter to President Nixon requesting reconsideration about a bill, The Newspaper Preservation Act. Berlin spoke with the authority of 40 million in circulation, including his interested supporters (other newspaper chain owners). Berlin wanted the bill passed, which greatly contributed to the state of corporate journalism today. Richard Nixon, a famed anti-journalism President agreed to help pass the bill with the newspapers’ support. The two parties made a deal, killed competition between newspapers, covered up the Watergate scandal as long as possible, and changed the way newspapers could operate from that point forward. Bagdikan shows the largest abuse of power possible between some of the biggest power players in the world.
After laying into the “Big Five” for much of the book, Bagdikian relents and reloads on the corporate interests. How the corporate world’s shaping of media released to the public started as early as the 1950’s, when advertisers created their own television programming to ensure the messages’ clarity, to the current state of advertisers dictating programming with direct contact with producers, approving or canning different proposals from the media companies themselves.
Bagdikian gives the corporates respect with their control over the media. The only force strong enough to tame either of these wild animals is the ever-powerful dollar, maybe a distant second is political power.
Bagdikian eventually shows some hope in the process with the creation of the internet. “The one important medium not yet controlled by the media monopolies.” The hope with the internet lies in its independence. Bagdikian leaves little to hope for in this book, but a large portion pertains to the internet.
The strongest argument made by Bagdikian about why we should be outraged about the narrowing of focus brought by the greed and corporates very simply states that we own the mediums. Government innovation created airwaves for them to broadcast. They have perverted OUR tax dollars into their own private monopoly money. Bagdikian convincingly inspires action to stop the bludgeoning of the media by money hungry corporations.