Monopoly media ownership has been a concern for decades. The Internet has helped level the playing field, but worries remain.

1. Media concentration
The Internet helps level the
playing field, but worries remain

2. Ben H. Bagdikian
• Legendary press analyst
was The Washington
Post’s first ombudsman

3. Ben H. Bagdikian
• Legendary press analyst
was The Washington
Post’s first ombudsman
• Began writing “The
Media Monopoly”
in the early 1980s

4. Ben H. Bagdikian
• Legendary press analyst
was The Washington
Post’s first ombudsman
• Began writing “The
Media Monopoly”
in the early 1980s
• Warned that five big
corporations controlled
nearly all U.S. media

5. The oligarchs’ agenda
• ABC killed a story on
pedophiles and lax
security at theme parks

6. The oligarchs’ agenda
• ABC killed a story on
pedophiles and lax
security at theme parks
• NBC was reluctant to
take on nuclear power
when GE was the owner

7. The oligarchs’ agenda
• ABC killed a story on
pedophiles and lax
security at theme parks
• NBC was reluctant to
take on nuclear power
when GE was the owner
• Networks were slow to
question Iraq war while
seeking favors from FCC

8. How communities are hurt
• Bagdikian tells the story
of Clear Channel after
accident in Minot, N.D.

9. How communities are hurt
• Bagdikian tells the story
of Clear Channel after
accident in Minot, N.D.
• Two generations ago
A.J. Liebling warned of
one-newspaper cities

10. How communities are hurt
• Bagdikian tells the story
of Clear Channel after
accident in Minot, N.D.
• Two generations ago
A.J. Liebling warned of
one-newspaper cities
• Chains like GateHouse
Media cut local
coverage to pay debt

11. But a funny thing
happened on the way
to the Apocalypse …

12. Independents’ day

13. Independents’ day
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Huffington Post
Talking Points Memo
Drudge Report
Daily Caller
WikiLeaks
ProPublica
Gawker Media
Etc., etc., etc.

14. Challenge to local monopolies
• Cheap technology
means that barriers to
entry are close to zero

15. Challenge to local monopolies
• Cheap technology
means that barriers to
entry are close to zero
• Some corporate chains
have embraced digital
to reinvent themselves

16. Challenge to local monopolies
• Cheap technology
means that barriers to
entry are close to zero
• Some corporate chains
have embraced digital
to reinvent themselves
• Patch is struggling,
but it represents new
corporate thinking

17. The new media moguls
• Jeff Bezos buys
The Washington Post,
takes it independent

18. The new media moguls
• Jeff Bezos buys
The Washington Post,
takes it independent
• John Henry purchases
The Boston Globe from
the New York Times Co.

19. The new media moguls
• Jeff Bezos buys
The Washington Post,
takes it independent
• John Henry purchases
The Boston Globe from
the New York Times Co.
• Aaron Kushner tries a
print-centric approach
with the O.C. Register

20. The new entrepreneurs
• Glenn Greenwald et al.
team up with Pierre
Omidyar of eBay fame

21. The new entrepreneurs
• Glenn Greenwald et al.
team up with Pierre
Omidyar of eBay fame
• Kara Swisher takes her
talents from the WSJ to
an NBC-affilated site

22. The new entrepreneurs
• Glenn Greenwald et al.
team up with Pierre
Omidyar of eBay fame
• Kara Swisher takes her
talents from the WSJ to
an NBC-affilated site
• Wonkblog founder Ezra
Klein will start a new
venture at Vox Media

23. What could go wrong?

24. What could go wrong?
• The 21st century’s Big 5
have a different agenda
from Ben Bagdikian’s 5
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–
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Apple
Google
Facebook
Amazon
Microsoft

25. What could go wrong?
• The 21st century’s Big 5
have a different agenda
from Ben Bagdikian’s 5
• Today’s Big 5 would
rather partner with
than fight the telecoms

26. What could go wrong?
• The 21st century’s Big 5
have a different agenda
from Ben Bagdikian’s 5
• Today’s Big 5 would
rather partner with
than fight the telecoms
• End of net neutrality
could bring current
openness to a halt