AOL-Time Warner - The end of democracy?

Essay from the year 2002 in the subject Communications - Journalism, Journalism Professions, grade: 2, Liverpool John Moores University (Media and Creative Arts), language: English, abstract: This essay will evaluate the implications of the AOL Time Warner merger on news accuracy and identity. It will firstly describe the changing economic situation in the 1980s and 1990s, which led to media ownership concentration. The essay will further give a brief summary of both companies and their way of becoming one and describe the essential term of 'synergy'. The next paragraph will then summarize the position of Frank A. Blethen, the publisher and CEO of the Seattle Times Co, towards media conglomerates. The essay will further discuss the concerns he raised: Firstly, he argues that conglomerates decrease the diversity of news and that the quality of news will be less important for big companies than profit. He further proclaims conflicts for the journalist in reporting negative news about the company they are working with and mentions the problems for local news providers. The essay will then discuss other possible effects and will finally evaluate whether the merger has been a success until now.