Bourgeois media: Difference between revisions

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'''Bourgeois media''' is means of communication (usually news media) that is owned, controlled, or otherwise serves the interests of the [[Bourgeoisie|bourgeois]] class.<ref>{{Citation|author=[[Lenin]]|year=1917|title=Draft Resolution On Freedom Of The Press|chapter=|page=|quote=|pdf=|city=|publisher=|isbn=|doi=|lg=|mia=https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/nov/04.htm|title-url=|chapter-url=|trans-title=|trans-lang=}}</ref> Bourgeois media can be either state-owned, such as [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|UK]]'s [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] or [[Qatar]]'s [[Al Jazeera]], or for-profit media, such as AT&T-owned [[Cable News Network|CNN]]. In common political discourse, the term "'''corporate media'''" is also used to specifically refer to means of communication controlled by for-profit corporations promoting their own interests.<ref>[https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/08/17/corporate-media-the-enemy-of-the-people/ Corporate Media: the Enemy of the People] by Paul Street on [[CounterPunch]] on Aug 17, 2018</ref><ref>[https://www.counterpunch.org/2021/09/22/after-20-years-of-failed-war-corporate-media-stills-give-wars-of-empire-a-pass/ After 20 Years of Failed War, Corporate Media Still Give Wars of Empire a Pass] by Robin Andersen on [[CounterPunch]]</ref>
'''Bourgeois media''' is means of communication (usually news media) that is owned, controlled, or otherwise serves the interests of the [[Bourgeoisie|bourgeois]] class.<ref>{{Citation|author=[[Lenin]]|year=1917|title=Draft Resolution On Freedom Of The Press|chapter=|page=|quote=|pdf=|city=|publisher=|isbn=|doi=|lg=|mia=https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/nov/04.htm|title-url=|chapter-url=|trans-title=|trans-lang=}}</ref><ref>{{News citation|newspaper=Swiss Policy Research|title=The American Empire and its Media|url=https://swprs.org/the-american-empire-and-its-media/}}</ref> Bourgeois media can be either state-owned, such as [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|UK]]'s [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] or [[Qatar]]'s [[Al Jazeera]], or for-profit media, such as AT&T-owned [[Cable News Network|CNN]]. In common political discourse, the term "'''corporate media'''" is also used to specifically refer to means of communication controlled by for-profit corporations promoting their own interests.<ref>[https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/08/17/corporate-media-the-enemy-of-the-people/ Corporate Media: the Enemy of the People] by Paul Street on [[CounterPunch]] on Aug 17, 2018</ref><ref>[https://www.counterpunch.org/2021/09/22/after-20-years-of-failed-war-corporate-media-stills-give-wars-of-empire-a-pass/ After 20 Years of Failed War, Corporate Media Still Give Wars of Empire a Pass] by Robin Andersen on [[CounterPunch]]</ref>
[[File:Media consolidation in the US.webp|thumb|210x210px|Media consolidation in the US]]
[[File:Media consolidation in the US.webp|thumb|210x210px|Media consolidation in the US]]



Revision as of 19:06, 14 June 2022

Bourgeois media is means of communication (usually news media) that is owned, controlled, or otherwise serves the interests of the bourgeois class.[1][2] Bourgeois media can be either state-owned, such as UK's BBC or Qatar's Al Jazeera, or for-profit media, such as AT&T-owned CNN. In common political discourse, the term "corporate media" is also used to specifically refer to means of communication controlled by for-profit corporations promoting their own interests.[3][4]

Media consolidation in the US

United States

Another infographic with more logos of subsidiaries

In the United States, 6 corporations control 90% of all of broadcast media.[5] Individual billionaires also bankroll their own propaganda outlets, ranging from liberal Democrats like Bill Gates[6] to right-wing oil billionaires behind the anti-communist PragerU.[7][8] Additionally, one of the richest individuals in the world, Jeff Bezos (the owner of Amazon), owns and controls the Washington Post in order to promote his own financial interests.[9]

Support for war

As US General Smedly Butler said, war is a racket. The corporations that own the media are usually the beneficiaries of this racket, either directly through investments, or indirectly through the economic activity as a result of imperialist war.[10][11][12]

Attacks against progressive candidates

Despite the fact that many "progressives" are merely social-democrats who do not challenge the capitalist system, they're still attacked by the corporate media for weakly threatening the control that corporations hold over society.[13][14][15]

Alternatives

See also

References