Conflicts of interest between media - Assignment Example

Task: Conflicted interest: Media and Their Owners When Media Corporation share their members of the board of directors with numerous other massive firms just to mention a few, then this can hinder the integrity of the media houses. Telling the truth by journalist is often difficult, as one has to challenge some of the strong personalities. This includes media house owners and corporate advertisers both who manipulate the aired content following their economic and political capacities. People in the news business compromise their integrity by sampling what is to be made public and what should not leave media houses, this is done to serve their interest and those of affiliate corporations and companies.

Brownsville, Texas PBS affiliate KMBH, which is owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville, refused to air the frontline documentary Hand of God because the documentary contained a subject, which was inflammatory to the church: catholic priest molestation scandals.There is interlocking directorates between media companies and other corporation. Some of the directors of ABC and Disney media companies also direct other companies. In addition, the same directors found in CBS and Viacom Media Corporation directs other companies such as, Amazon.

com, Bank One, American Express, MBIA, and Genuity. To emphasise on this point it can be seen that there is interlocking directorate between CNN and Time Warner and the following companies: Community Health System, Colgate-Palmolive, American Express, Chevron, and Dell Computers.If the media directors also direct other companies, it can lead to diverted interest. Disney Company is famous concerning providing family entertainment, numerous films, cartoons and animation movies. However the company’s stations are linked with sexist, racist, gender and class bias evidenced in their programs which is linked to the media ownership, who are interested with making enormous profits.

The Wall Street Journal failed to publicize some of the issues of its parent firm thus inability to effectively report. Media companies hold many other holdings, as an example General Electric owns television holdings, GE power system and others.DISNEY Company, which contributed a significant amount of cash to Bush campaign, has the following television holdings, ABC, ABC Network News, and Disney Channel among others. Politics also influence media houses, forcing them to create ties with politicians for mutual benefits.

For example, Disney Company supported Bush in 2000 election. This was meant to create friendly tie, which come with benefits after election. It is in their interest of corporations to promote an environment where the need for continual high spending on military is required. This then leads to a lot of propaganda from the media. This involves using of selected stories, partial facts; strengthen grounds and inspiration, narrow source of experts, and demonizing the enemy. Work CitedShah, A. Media Conglomerates, Mergers, concentration of ownership.

Global issues. 2 Jan.2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.