Bernie Sanders has taken aim at the not-so-subtle manipulations of corporate media. The structure of this institution is neglected (or hidden) to the detriment of the population who deserve transparency in accordance to their information.
It is easy to look at media superficially and believe in the balance that is provided across multiple platforms. But what happens when we take a closer look? Companies like Disney own ABC and ESPN, among other subsidiaries. News Corporation owns Fox News, The New York Post, and Dow Jones. The slightest bit of research shows that our media is not a wide array of perspectives at all, but a few consolidated empires perpetually searching for a better bottom line.
This formation of companies constantly shapes how we receive (mis)information. Companies like News Corp. and Disney receive robust donations and advertising money from special interest groups like Citizens United. Money talks in America, and it’s currently shouting at the top of its lungs.
Bernie Sanders has been a staunch advocate for corporate and big business reform. The wage gap is growing while the middle class is dissolving, leaving the power in the hands of the few occupying the upper class. It becomes sustainable when they persuade masses that this unbalanced social structure doesn’t even exist. An aristocratic ruse, pulling the strings of their bought and paid for media.
Hillary Clinton is an extension of the problem with establishment media. She is not by any means the worst person in the presidential race, but she carries close ties with big business. She dare not threaten them the way Sanders has so openly. This has helped her dominate the coverage as Sanders languishes in media obscurity even after big wins. This tweet can sum up perfectly how media organizations like Time Warner have affected the coverage of primaries:
CNN is owned by Time Warner. Time Warner donated $500k+ to Clinton's campaign (so far). Welcome to America. https://t.co/vWl6PlI9Jm
— Rebeeber, Esq. (@BeekerLooHoo) October 14, 2015
This is not some outlandish conclusion by a no-name writer looking to explain the ratios in media coverage. Academics like Noam Chomsky, Max Weber, and Amy Goodman have discussed the problematic nature of the media at length. As long as true information is bypassed in the name of special interests we will all suffer for it, and people like Bernie Sanders won’t get a fair shake.
Image via Flickr by Phil Roeder available under a Creative Commons Attribution license
