(This message is being posted to numerous lists, so please forgive the
replication.. I wish multiple messages could be avoided and still get the
message out)
1/12/20 2:23 PM -- MediaCentral.com
http://www.mediacentral.com/channels/newspapers/947623450_340.html
The International Federation of Journalists warned that the AOL-Time Warner
merger could threaten democratic values and freedom of speech unless
editorial independence was protected.
"This merger may redefine the worlds of entertainment, communication and
commerce, but it may also threaten democracy, plurality and quality in
media," IFJ General Secretary Aidan White said in a statement from Brussels.
"We are now seeing the dominance of a handful of companies controlling
information and how that information reaches people. Unless action is taken
to ensure journalistic independence we face a dangerous threat to media
diversity," White said.
"Otherwise we will have corporate gatekeepers to the flow of information
who will define content to suit their market strategies,"
Commentary: The ownership makeup of media long ago began to encroach upon
free speech in ways few understand. The great hope was that the Internet
would allow a new paradigm to evolve, but we all underestimated the level
of entrenchment of media companies and the global giants who own them.
Even Ted Turner, co-chair of Time Warner recently stated in an interview on
his own CNN that he was disappointed that he had to sell his network, but
that "these software guys created a new industry... we were faced with
three entrenched players, and it's very, very difficult to (compete with)
entrenched companies."
The problem is largely invisible and silent yet relentless. If you publish
something to upset the apple cart, regardless of how true, then careers
stand still, funding magically disappears, advertisers stay away and
barriers that feel like Plexiglas invade one's personal space. We do not
need more media consolidation, what we need is divestiture and rich media
diversity if freedom is to survive globalization.
Web version is posted here: http://gwin.net/latestnews.cfm
Mark Montgomery
Founder
http://gwin.net
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