14) YOUR ALTERNATIVE TO THE MEDIA DICTATORS
"Any dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the U.S. media." ‑ Noam Chomsky
In 1983, 50 corporations controlled the vast majority of all news media in the U.S. Since then, there have been dozens of mergers and the media's scope has expanded to include the Internet market. Today, only five huge corporations ‑ Time Warner, Disney, Murdoch's News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany, and Viacom (formerly CBS) ‑ control most of the U.S. media industry. General Electric's NBC is a close sixth.
The above quote from Noam Chomsky also applies to the Canadian mass media, which is dominated by a handful of major corporations.
Apart from some community broadcasters, media in Canada are primarily owned by a small number of companies, including Bell Media (formerly CTVglobemedia), Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications, Astral Media, Quebecor, and (unlike the U.S.) the government‑owned CBC. Each of these companies holds a diverse mix of TV, cable, radio, newspaper, magazine and internet operations.
These corporations are an important part of the overall structure of present-day monopoly capitalism, with interlocking directors and major shareholders, and a common interest in preserving the status quo. Little wonder that they express a consistent bias in favour of ruling class ideas, such as the so-called "natural" economic order based on private ownership of wealth, or the view that human beings are "hard-wired" to fight wars rather than to cooperate for survival.
In the realm of ideas, the only serious challenge to this corporate control arises from the resistance of the exploited, the vast majority of the population under capitalism. For over a hundred years, this resistance has included the working class media, taking many forms - newspapers, leaflets, books, radio, TV, internet, etc.
This month, we mark the 90th anniversary of The Worker, which was born on March 15, 1922. For nine decades, The Worker and its successor publications - The Clarion, the Canadian and Pacific Tribunes, Clarte, and People's Voice, among others - have fought relentlessly to expose the lies and distortions of the corporate media, and to cover the news ignored by the capitalist daily papers.
Shortly before this issue went to press, we mailed out our annual mail appeal for the 2012 People's Voice Fund Drive. The first replies are coming in, and as of March 2, we have received nearly $3,000. That's a promising start on our campaign to raise $50,000.
Over the next few months, we will be visiting our subscribers to seek your support. And our press activists will be holding a series of fundraisers, such as the June 2 Victory Banquet at the Russian Hall in Vancouver. As always, the value of May Day greeting ads (see page 3 for information) will count towards provincial targets.
Coming up first is the annual Pasta Dinner held as part of the Left Film Night, Sunday, March 25, 6 pm, at the Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Drive, also in Vancouver. This month the film is "There But For Fortune", the powerful documentary on the life and times of radical U.S. folksinger Phil Ochs. Dinner is just $12, with vegetarian options. Join us for some delicious food and a great movie! Call 604-255-2041 for details.
In our next issue, we'll give the first full report on the progress of the Fund Drive. Thanks to all who have sent in donations so far. Your solidarity is deeply appreciated!
(The above article is from the March 16-31, 2012, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)