Does
Media Ownership Affect Media Stands?
The Case of the Telecommunications Act of 1996
James
H. Snider and Bejamin I. Page
Abstract
Democratic theory suggests that media should act in
the interests of ordinary citizens. If a highly influential segment
of the media presents information in a way that systematically favors
its interests over other interests, democracy may be weakened. Media
organizations, reacting to concern about such "bias," often insist
that they follow a "norm of objectivity," separating their business
interests from their news operations. Media scholars tend to confirm
that such a norm of objectivity pervades newsrooms.
On February 1, 1996, Congress passed the Telecommunications Act
of 1996, one provision of which gave existing TV broadcasters free
usage of spectrum valued at between $11 and $70 billion. Opponents
called this a "giveaway" and one of the largest "corporate welfare"
programs in United States history. In the months preceding and following
passage of the Act, TV broadcasters actively lobbied against their
opponents. The research here suggests that the separation of "church
and state" was crossed; media owners' economic interests affected
their news coverage. Generalizations from this case should be made
with caution because of the extraordinarily high stakes involved
for media owners.
James H. Snider, Department
of Political Science, Northwestern University
Benjamin I. Page, Department of Political Science,
Northwestern University
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