ASSOC. PROF. DR ROSNI JAAFAR Assoc. Prof. Dept.

of Advertising Faculty Of Communication And Media Studies Universiti Teknologi Mara

PREPARED FOR:

By the end of this topic, readers are hope to understand:

Nature of large-media ownership Reasons for why larger-media ownership today uses the current form

it has Explore concerns about large corporate media ownership and the correlation with democracy, and; General view of corporate media ownership and media ethics

Concerns about who owns the media have existed at least since the adolescence of industrial age media and it can also have malign effects. Media moguls might influence media constructions of public issues by hiring news editors and pulling stories.
Media also need to attract audiences to advertisers precludes content which might be unnecessarily complex or controversial in areas of cultural expression and sociological knowledge.

Each type of business ownership has its own terms.

A sole proprietorship consists of a single individual who owns the company and serves as its only employee and a partnership is similar in its simplicity, but it can involve two or more owners. In addition to media ownership, market characteristics can also shape news content.

Pressure to expand audience reach in a media market may exacerbate the tendency to offer news coverage appealing to the widest audience possible having a depressive effect on the substance offered (Dunaway, 2008; Hamilton, 2004).
Not all scholars believe media ownership is sufficiently concentrated to warrant concern.

Compaine argues in one of his authored chapters in the often-cited work Who Owns the Media that the number of leading firms in the media industries is increasing (Compaine & Gomery, 2000).

He calls the idea of a media monopoly a myth, citing as evidence his own industry data and previous quantitative studies about media ownership and content diversity/quality (Compaine, 2005). Baker (2007) answers Compaines claim of a plethora of media owners:
considers media separately; media organizations functions in a given industry such as production,

distribution and exhibition, therefore leverage industrial power through such ownership strategies; believe what seems to be a more open market nationally in some circumstances; and quantitative studies that correlate ownership with content are often problematic measures of ownership dangers.

Vertical integration of production and distribution in both the motion picture and television industries exacerbate the influence that a few significant companies (Time Warner, Disney, Viacom, New Corp.) have over those industries (Kunz, 2007; Meehan, 2005; Wasko, 2003). For example, Media Prima owns significant television program production companies with inroads into syndication such as TV3, Channel 8, NTV7, and TV9.
In radio, Media Prima owns at least three (3) major radio stations in Malaysia. These include Hot.fm, Fly.fm and One.fm conquering all the three main languages in Malaysia.

McAllister and Proffitt (2009) highlighted that in the United States, the music industry is concentrated at many different levels.
The comic book industry features a near duopoly at the production level via Marvel and DC Comics, and a near monopoly at distribution through a company named Diamond (McAllister, 2001). Scholars have also argued that concentration of media ownership is also a problem in many other countries besides the United States (Thomas & Nain, 2004). McChesney (1999) made a cooperative difference between the past and the current situation of the media industry.

He stated that in the past, different companies controlled each medium.

Today, often the same companies dominate in different industries. Time Warner, for example, is a significant or dominant player in film and broadcast television production; film and broadcast television distribution; cable television production, distribution and exhibition; Internet exhibition; and comic book production.

McAllister and Proffitt (2009) outlined at least four (4) major factors have influenced the creation of modern media ownership synergy, new

media, globalization and authority.

The concept synergy still guides many large media corporations as they look to maximize revenue and publicity by moving branded licenses through owned subsidiaries (Meehan, 1991).
Newer forms of synergy may be more focused on reaching target markets through multiple means.

New media technologies and digitization have also encouraged media growth, Time Warners acquisition by AOL in 2000 etc
Media Prima, took the advantage of penetrating the web 2.0 platform through its digital communication and broadcasting subsidiaries, Alt Media via the lifestyle portals gua.com.my & tonton.com.my A video portal with customized content and interactivity of social networking that is said to have more than 3 million registered users.

Globalization has also encouraged large media growth, as media empires peddle their own worldwide branded products such as Superman (Time Warner), The Simpsons (News Corp), and Dora and Explorer (Viacom).
The commercialized cartoon Upin and Ipin is the best example of corporate media ownership penetration through globalization by having branded products. Boboboi is another incoming brand that media prima is currently pushing.

Large media corporations have gotten bigger because they have been allowed to.
Policies which favour privatization of media resources as well as the elimination of regulations have influenced growth and been influenced by growth through the lobbying and legal clout of big media (Proffitt, 2007; Ramey, 2007).

The media ownership was widely seen as a revolutionary tool whose political impact would be as dramatic as that of the printing press, bringing a new age of liberation, democracy and enlightenment. The ownership makes possible the buying and selling of information and knowledge on a far broader scale such as choices are available to anyone who has media medium and an Internet connection, and who can afford to pay for extra media medium.
Somehow the media ownership undermines democracy to gain more profit from many ways such as advertising profit, political profit and viewers profit.

Media Prima themselves has conquered almost 70% news mainstream in Malaysia. TV3, TV9, 8TV, NTV7, Hotfm, BeritaHarian, Harian Metro and some other more Theyre only give information based on their own perception and voices, especially from the political view.

This has supposed come to the concept of media democracy.

The stated purpose for doing so is to create a mass media system that informs and empowers all the people in society, and keep growing the democratic values. But, opposite from that, as stated on textbook on how in the era of Nazi, cable TV system, which conducts the Pro-Nazi channel, needs to make sure no Nazi representative has any matter regarding to democratic issues. From this we can see how the democracy has been put aside just to satisfy few people.

Local government newspapers such as Media Prima, RTM, Utusan and so forth has limited their range of ideas whereby they penetrate the readers to have the idea to against the opposition. They didnt portray any of positive matters brought by the opposition even if they did so. Somehow, viewers didnt have any chance to actually choose the best option for them as they view the bias information gave by the news.

Large media owners encourage standardized content across various holdings, both to exploits economies of scale and to develop consistent brand images.
Affects to the local communities, especially in its reduction of media content specifically for that community These practices include with the organization structures, flow and directions. The decision making and choices is decided by the managers, practitioner and others decision maker across the media

Large media corporations emphasize the promotion of their products to an outlandish degree
Modern media conglomerates not only have multiple licenses to promote, but also multiple subsidiaries in which to promote them The expansive nature of the mediated text in cross-media corporate ownership is more significant

Bagdikians Media Monopoly explored two dangers of modern media empires, not just one: ownership influence (the monopoly part) and advertise influence
Smaller media firm are less attractive to large-scale advertisers and have a tougher time surviving. Cross-promotional deals come with a price, often in the form of product placement (products appears in a media text)

Ethical considerations can play a role in sparking such legislation and larger changes, and in negotiating through the current media landscape until such changes occur.
Government legislators can embrace democratic principles both in terms of what policies are best to maintain democratic vibrancy and what democratic process is best to decide on such policies. Baker (2007) note that concern about media ownership is not a clear cut right versus left political issue, and as such bi-partisan pressure may help keep politicians on target. Free Press can help focus policy makers on their ethical and democratic obligations.

Media owners can maintain an ethical stance in distinguishing between maximized profits and reasonable profits maximize profits may lead to many if not most of the typical dangers of large corporate media ownership. Media workers feel concerned about the effects upon their job and the conflicts can create with their journalistic, aesthetic and ideological standards (Turow, 1994).
Media studies scholars can be active in raising issues of media ownership. Napoli and Gillis (2006) argued that government policy makers may be increasingly open to communications scholars as resources for decision making.

Media Ownership has strong influence to the media industries. They not only have power and influence in set up the media organization but also determine the media priority. With ownership by stockholder and managing staffs of the media industries, the objectives to serve public is no longer the main goal, but to achieve goal and to target the revenue for the media company. With the purpose to establish and promote brand and company image, the social responsibility may be less on focus. The strategy of the media ownership to set the media structure, purpose and goals, media is no longer to serve public but also to attract advertiser for the great deal of agreement and results. Besides that, with existence of media ownership, the media will have more income and resources so they can make the reporting and spreading information to be more efficient and better than before. This shows that with a strong financial and support, media have the ability to give better report as they managed to get the information and news with more specific and clear. Given this ability, the possibility to gain knowledge and latest update is possible.

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