There is no question: The Internet changed the scape of mass media during the last part of the 20th century and the first decade of the new millennium, and it is a valuable informational tool. However, with so much information, it can be difficult to discern the legitimate from illegitimate. News is immediately available in abundance and opinion flows freely, while the truth is easily lost. A lie repeated in enough messages can masquerade as truth when it goes viral.
With a growing number of publications and broadcasters, the First Amendment guarantee of a free press can be confused not only by the Internet, but also by billionaires and a small list of giant media conglomerates. The facts may still be reported, but there is a question of credibility when the company or individual has an interest in the news that is disseminated and the writer or editor self-edits, in fear of reprisal.
Manipulation of the press by larger interests is nothing new. William Randolph Hearst used his large newspaper holdings to sway public opinion to instigate the Spanish-American War and champion America’s first drug war on marijuana when he was afraid that hemp’s cheaper cost to produce paper would hurt his vast lumber holdings. In the early days of television, General Electric and Westinghouse utilized their programing to promote products through their broadcast networks. Mainstream media are often used to promote political or commercial agendas.
Last year Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, purchased the famed Washington Post and assumed control of the publicly traded company from the Graham family. With a personal check for $250 million, about 1 percent of his net worth, Bezos became the owner of the leading watchdog for the public interest in Washington, D.C.
Some saw, Bezos’ purchase as a benevolent effort to save a fearless publication that was not afraid to print inconvenient truths. The sale of the paper was a hard choice for the Graham family, and, according to a “60 Minutes” interview with Bezos after the sale, he had to be talked into the investment. During the interview, Bezos admitted he was no journalist but declared his strong belief in the freedom of the press and free speech.
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While there is no evidence of any link between Bezos, the Post and the CIA for favorable coverage, the Post’s editors apparently failed to brief him on disclosure and transparency. To date, the Post has yet to acknowledge its owner’s connection with Amazon when it covers the CIA.
Amazon’s Bezos is not the first of the wealthy to go into the media business. Today a majority of newspapers, radio stations and television stations, along with Internet media are controlled by the wealthiest.
The intent of the First Amendment is to guard against government abuse by ensuring that all citizens have the right to free expression. With billionaires and conglomerates owning so many media outlets, there is a risk of direct censorship, but the real risk to free speech might be more subtle: self-censorship when the editor fails to question and the journalist fails to report.
More than ever before, it’s up to citizens to take responsibility for their own news sources, to not settle for one report on a given issue from a single source. It is important that viewers and readers, like journalists, need to fact check media reports and make the extra effort to be discerning consumers of news in all forms.
