Question

What is the role of news media in a democracy? How is quality journalism compromised by media conglomeration?

Answer 1

Media constitute the fourth pillar of democracy. The role of the media is vital in generating a democratic culture that extends beyond the political system and becomes engrained in the public consciousness over time. Media is supplying the political information that voters base their decisions on. They identify problems in our society and serve as a medium for deliberation. They also serve as watchdogs that we rely on for uncovering errors and wrongdoings by those who have power. Media is vital in generating a democratic culture that extends beyond the political system and becomes engrained in the public consciousness over time. The role of media in a democracy is as crucial as that of the politicians and should never be underestimated.

Conglomeration is defined as the formation of large company by merging of seperate and diverse small firms.Media conglomerate is a large company or corporation formed by merging of different small media outlets such as TV, radio, newspapers, and internet.

Big companies tend to buy out other smaller companies in the market to increase their revenue by increasing their viewership, and to control the smaller companies’ resources. This creates media oligopoly by which few firms dominate the market.

The most important negative impact of the conglomeration of media is that profit becomes the main focus of corporate effort. ... Conglomeration of media also leads to reduced quality of programs because they shift the interest of audiences to less important news such as celebrity scandals.