TO:
FROM:
DATE:
Federal Communications Commission
Erin Zix
February 16, 2016
RE: Media Consolidation and its Negative Affect on Democracy
______________________________________________________________________
The United States is facing numerous issues which affect democracy, but none can be more appropriately addressed at the forefront than the topic of media consolidation. It can be argued that all other issues exist because of it. Citizens in a democracy need access to reliable information in order to engage meaningfully with the issues of our times, but when the information given is controlled by the wealthy few, there are serious implications for how citizens experience democracy.
Decades of incremental policy changes in favor of corporate elites have brought us to the current dire situation. (Crawford S., 2013) Since the 1980s and particularly after the passing of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, we have seen media ownership dwindle from about fifty companies to a mere six. (Corcoran M., 2016) Corporate ownership of the media is an insidious form of mind control and censorship, for it is in the best interest of these companies to maintain the status quo and serve special interests. “Media power is political power.” (Bagdikian B., 2004) This statement speaks volumes; the things citizens need to know in order to adequately equip them with the ability to rationalize modern issues is in effect controlled by the people who decide what we see and how we see it. Media frames the debate and gives concrete sides to choose, and today we are often left with only two sides to decide between, with pertinent details left out entirely. These corporate elites should not be able to pick and choose what is put forth to the public when it serves them to do so. Because of this, the
United States has the most politically constricted voting system of the world’s developed democracies. (Bagdikian B., 2004)
It is the job of the government in a democracy to uphold standards of truth, morality and justice. The FCC should not fall beholden to special interests. Instead, the regulatory agencies overseeing media and communications should extend laws to protect the most important component of democracy. Rather than allowing shell companies of larger conglomerates to circumvent laws (Ludwig M., 2016) more restrictions should disallow the secrecy behind media ownership. Access to factually accurate news is critical for a healthy democracy; it is what our citizens rely on to make informed decisions about their

lives and their politics. In the current climate, the conversation is framed by those who have an interest in swaying policy. This has serious implications on our elections. The corporations make tons of money off running campaign ads. These ads are usually surrounded by secrecy under Political Action Committees (PACs) that do not have to disclose their origin. This sentiment also rings true for political agencies. The FCC is comprised of former lobbyists (Ludwig M., 2016), and this revolving door must be shut.
In order for a true democracy to exist, corruption and greed cannot prevail.
Today we call on you for action. We ask for your commitment to the people, a commitment to a public service that is necessary for our survival as the greatest country in the world. We ask that you revisit the laws enacted over the last three decades to empower the people by removing it from the wealthy and elite. In order to give the people a chance to grapple with the issues of our times, we must have a transparent and unbiased media delivering the news.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
References
Bagdikian, Ben H. The New Media Monopoly . Boston: Beacon Press, 2004.
Google Books . Web. 16. Feb 2016.
Berger, Arthur A. Media and Society: A Critical Perspective.
Plymouth: Rowman
& Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2012. Google Books.
Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
Corcoran, Michael. Democracy in Peril: Twenty Years of Media Consolidation
Under the Telecommunications Act.
Truthout.org. Truthout, 11 Feb. 2016. Web.
16 Feb. 2016.
Crawford, Susan P. Captive Audience: The Telecom Industry and Monopoly
Power in the New Guilded Age.
New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013. Google
Books.
Web 16. Feb 2016.
Ludwig, Mike. “Corporate Media’s Hidden Wave of Consolidations” Truthout.org.
Truthout, 23, October 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
McChesney, Robert W. The Problem of the Media: U.S. Communications in the
Twenty-First Century . New York: Monthly Review Press, 2004. Google Books.
Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
McChesney, Robert W. Rich Media, Poor Democracy: Communication Politics in
Dubious Times. 2015 ed. Champaign: University of Illinois, 1999. Google Books.
Web. 16 Feb. 2016.