A great three-segment discussion of newspapers monopolies and the often powerful corporate interests behind them. Could pair with news media concentration readings like Bagdikian’s The New Media Monopoly, Jhally’s The Political Economy of Culture (p. 45 here), Chapter 1 in McChesney’s Political Economy of Media, or C. Edwin Baker’s Media Concentration and Democracy. Could be an especially nice jumping-off point for discussing the relationships between structural trends (e.g., concentration) and instrumental control (e.g., “consciousness industry”).
MSNBC video abstract:
Media monopolies thrive as local newspapers fold
In talking about Up panelist David Sirota’s latest article in Harper’s, host Chris Hayes leads the conversation on the number of politically motivated businessmen who are buying out local newspapers.
SEGMENT 1 — SEGMENT 2 — SEGMENT 3
Also, here are links to Sirota’s articles on the topic in Harper’s Magazine — “The Citizen Kane era returns” & “The only game in town”
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