Mainstream U.s. Media Controlled by Conservatives

From a national survey by "Fair" which showed* Energy Systems: provides nuclear power plant
that the idea that the mainstream media have adesign and maintenance.
"liberal bias" has long been conventional wisdom.=================================
At various times, public figures and mediaVIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC.
personalities from Richard Nixon, Newt Gingrich, BillTelevision Holdings:
O'Reilly, Neil Cavuto, Sean Hannity and Rupert* Paramount Television, Spelling Television, MTV,
Murdoch of Fox Networks (Rupert Murdoch nowVH-1, Showtime, The Movie Channel, UPN (joint
major stock holder of "The Wall Street Journal)owner), Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Sundance
they and others have all taken refuge in the claimChannel (joint owner), Flix.
that the "liberal" media were out to get them. A* 20 major market US stations.
legion of conservative talk show hosts, punditsMedia Holdings:
and media-watch groups pound away at the idea* Paramount Pictures, Paramount Home Video,
that the media exhibit an inherently "liberal" tilt. ButBlockbuster Video, Famous Players Theatres,
the assertion is based on remarkably littleParamount Parks.
evidence and is repeatedly made in the face of* Simon & Schuster Publishing.
contradictory facts.==================================
In particular, the conservative critique of the newsDISNEY / ABC / CAP (donated 640 thousand to
media rests on two general propositions: (1)GW's 2000 campaign)
journalists' views are to the left of the public, andTelevision Holdings:
(2) journalists frame news content in a way that* ABC: includes 10 stations, 24% of US
accentuates these left perspectives. Researchershouseholds.
and analysts have discovered persuasive evidence* ABC Network News: Prime Time Live, Nightline,
against the latter claim. Content analyses of the20/20, Good Morning America.
news media have, at a minimum, shown the* ESPN, Lifetime Television (50%), as well as
absence of any such systematic liberal/left tilt;minority holdings in A&E, History Channel and E!
some studies have found a remarkably* Disney Channel/Disney Television, Touchtone
predictable press usually reflecting the narrowTelevision.
range of views of those in positions of power, asMedia Holdings:
well as a spectrum of expert opinion that tilts* Miramax, Touchtone Pictures.
toward the right.* Magazines: Jane, Los Angeles Magazine, W,
ÂDiscover.
The report goes on to say that the powerful* 3 music labels, 11 major local newspapers.
corporate interests which own and sponsor the* Hyperion book publishers.
news media ensure that news content never* Infoseek Internet search engine (43%).
strays too far, for too long, from protecting theOther Holdings:
status quo. You don't understand the corporate* Sid R. Bass (major shares) crude oil and gas.
ideology of General Motors by studying the* All Disney Theme Parks, Walt Disney Cruise
personal beliefs of the assembly-line workers, theLines. ==========================
argument goes. Ideological orientation is introducedTIME-WARNER TBS - AOL (donated 1.6 million to
and enforced by those high in the organizationalGW's 2000 campaign)
hierarchy who have the power to hire and fire, toAmerica Online (AOL) acquired Time Warner-the
reward and punish. Working journalists, despitelargest merger in corporate history.
their sometimes high visibility, usually do not callTelevision Holdings:
the shots in the nation's media corporations. (The* CNN, HBO, Cinemax, TBS Superstation, Turner
documentary "Fear and Favor in the Newsroom"Network Television, Turner Classic Movies,
provides vivid illustrations of this situation.)Warner Brothers Television, Cartoon Network,
Consequently, the private views of individualSega Channel, TNT, Comedy Central (50%), E!
journalists often matter little.(49%), Court TV (50%).
Â* Largest owner of cable systems in the US with
The latest available stats show that mostan estimated 13 million subscribers.
mainstream media is owned and/or controlled byMedia Holdings:
the conservative lift. Large corporations and the* HBO Independent Productions, Warner Home
wealthy are able to weld major political cloutVideo, New Line Cinema, Castle Rock, Looney
because of their media holdings. In turn they areTunes, Hanna-Barbera.
collectively able to shape government policy by* Music: Atlantic, Elektra, Rhino, Sire, Warner Bros.
controlling the slant of the mainstream news.Records, EMI, WEA, Sub Pop (distribution) = the
Âworld's largest music company.
GENERAL ELECTRIC --(donated 1.1 million to GW* 33 magazines including Time, Sports Illustrated,
Bush for his 2000 election campaign)People, In Style, Fortune, Book of the Month Club,
Television Holdings:Entertainment Weekly, Life, DC Comics (50%),
* NBC: includes 13 stations, 28% of USand MAD Magazine.
households.Other Holdings:
* NBC Network News: The Today Show, Nightly* Sports: The Atlanta Braves, The Atlanta Hawks,
News with then Tom Brokaw, Meet the Press,World Championship Wrestling.
Dateline NBC, NBC News at Sunrise.============================
* CNBC business television; MSNBC 24-hour cableNEWS CORPORATION LTD. / FOX NETWORKS
and Internet news service (co-owned by NBC and(Rupert Murdoch) (donations see bottom note)
Bill Gates Microsoft); Court TV (co-owned withTelevision Holdings:
Time Warner), Bravo (50%), A&E (25%), History* Fox Television: includes 22 stations, 50% of US
Channel (25%).households.
The "MS" in MSNBCmeans Microsoft* Fox International: extensive worldwide cable and
The same Microsoft that donated 2.4 million tosatellite networks include British Sky Broadcasting
get GW bush elected and more cash for(40%); VOX, Germany (49.9%); Canal Fox, Latin
re-election.America; FOXTEL, Australia (50%); STAR TV,
Other Holdings:Asia; IskyB, India; Bahasa Programming Ltd.,
* GE Consumer Electronics.Indonesia (50%); and News Broadcasting, Japan
* GE Power Systems: produces turbines for(80%).
nuclear reactors and power plants.* The Golf Channel (33%).
* GE Plastics: produces military hardware andMEDIA HOLDINGS:
nuclear power equipment.* Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Searchlight.
* GE Transportation Systems: runs diesel and* 132 newspapers (113 in Australia alone) including
electric trains.the New York Post, the London Times and The
===================================Australian.
WESTINGHOUSE / CBS INC.* 25 magazines including TV Guide and The
Westinghouse Electric Company, part of theWeekly Standard.
Nuclear Utilities Business Group of British Nuclear* HarperCollins books.
Fuels (BNFL)whose #1 on the Board of Directors?OTHER HOLDINGS:
None other than:* Sports: LA Dodgers, LA Kings, LA Lakers,
Frank Carlucci (of the Carlyle Group)National Rugby League.
Television Holdings:* Ansett Australia airlines, Ansett New Zealand
* CBS: includes 14 stations and over 200 affiliatesairlines.
in the US.* Rupert Murdoch: Board of Directors, Philip Morris
* CBS Network News: 60 minutes, 48 hours, CBS(USA).
Evening News with Dan Rather, CBS Morning*(Phillip Morris donated 2.9 million to George W
News, Up to the Minute.Bush in 2000)*
* Country Music Television, The NashvilleLater data is being collected and is expected to
Network, 2 regional sports networks.show even more dominance of the mainstream
* Group W Satellite Communications.media by rich and powerful conservatives.
Other Holdings:Sources:
* Westinghouse Electric Company: provides go to the "columbia journalism review
services to the nuclear power industry.and click on the
* Westinghouse Government Environmental"who owns what" link on the right side of the
Services Company: disposes of nuclear andpage
hazardous wastes. Also operates 4The presidential donations for GW can be found
government-owned nuclear power plants in theat
US.U.S.