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The Last of the Old Media Empires

Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

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Published in Murdoch S World: The Last Of The Old Media Empires

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In the early days of the 20th century, the media landscape was dominated by a handful of powerful corporations. These old media empires controlled the flow of information to the public, and they used their power to shape public opinion and advance their own agendas.

Murdoch's World: The Last of the Old Media Empires

by David Folkenflik

4.1 out of 5

Language	:	English
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But over the past few decades, the old media empires have been in decline. The rise of cable news, the internet, and social media has fragmented the media landscape and given consumers more choice in how they get their news.

In his book The Last of the Old Media Empires, author James Fallows argues that the decline of the old media empires is a good thing. He argues that these companies were too powerful and that their control over the flow of information was a threat to democracy.

Fallows also argues that the rise of cable news has been a positive development. He argues that cable news has given consumers more choice in how they get their news, and that it has led to a more informed public.

However, Fallows also acknowledges that the rise of cable news has had some negative consequences. He argues that cable news has become too polarized, and that it has contributed to the decline of civil discourse.

Overall, Fallows' book is a fascinating look at the rise and fall of the old media empires, and the rise of cable news. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the media, journalism, or American politics.

The Old Media Empires

The old media empires were a group of powerful corporations that controlled the flow of information to the public in the United States.

The most powerful of these empires was AT&T. AT&T controlled the telephone system, the telegraph system, and the radio broadcasting system.

Other major media empires included:

General Electric
RCA
CBS
NBC
Time Warner

These media empires used their power to shape public opinion and advance their own agendas.

For example, AT&T used its control of the telephone system to block the spread of unionization in the early 20th century.

General Electric used its control of the radio broadcasting system to promote its own products and to attack its competitors.

The Rise of Cable News

The rise of cable news in the 1980s was a major challenge to the old media empires.

Cable news channels offered viewers more choice in how they got their news, and they were not subject to the same regulations as traditional broadcast networks.

This gave cable news channels more freedom to experiment with new formats and to offer more diverse perspectives.

The most successful cable news channel was Fox News. Fox News was launched in 1996, and it quickly became the most popular cable news channel in the United States.

Fox News's success was due in part to its conservative bias. Fox News appealed to viewers who were dissatisfied with the liberal bias of the traditional broadcast networks.

The Impact of Cable News

The rise of cable news has had a significant impact on the media landscape.

Cable news has led to:

Increased choice for consumers
More diverse perspectives
More polarized political discourse

Cable news has also contributed to the decline of the old media empires.

In the past, the old media empires controlled the flow of information to the public. But today, consumers have more choice than ever before in how they get their news.

This has led to a decline in the power of the old media empires.