On the media "conspiracy."

[LanternWaste]

133. By creating a narrow monopoly of media owners we have also created a narrow realm of coverage.

In the early 80's, Ben Bagdikian wrote an eye-opening (for me-- especially at the tender age I was then) book called 'The Media Monopoly', narrating how the media functions within the standards of journalism countered by corporate advertising (creating an additional layer of self-censorship).

The book seems to have been prophetic, and its updated re-issues never change the original premise, but merely strengthens it by adding even more examples. Bagdikian’s final caution is this: by creating a narrow monopoly of media owners we have also created a narrow realm of coverage.

The conspiracy exists, but not one as we would think of as a conspiracy-- more a common agenda shared by all media outlets, that agenda being profits, higher share prices, and good relations with advertisers-- all of which weaken objective news reporting.