Implications of Capitalism on Objective News Content

While Capitalism might first be seen as a positive influence on free and open access to information, in fact, it can also have a detrimental impact. Inaccurate news stories, sensationalized material, and manipulation through the media are all repercussions of the effects of capitalism. Capitalism’s influence in the media skews content in favour of the market, preventing the public from access to democratic, objective news content. Too often, capitalist influence dominates the media market through conglomerate control, structured by the ever-growing desire to gain capital, treating the audience as a commodity regardless of the negative repercussions that ensue. As opposed to presenting balanced, unbiased issues that are relevant and open to the interpretation of the media consumers in order to best meet the needs of society, the result is a cycle of information that does not broaden public democratic discourse, but channels it with bias.
Perhaps the best place to begin a review of the relationship between media, capitalism and democracy is the United States of America, where democracy is held up as its foundation, freedom of speech is protected in its Declaration of Independence, and its society has held up capitalism as the best option for prosperity and equality for its citizens. Within the USA, news channels have long been accepted as having obvious links to political philosophies. Depending on the corporate interest, media channel content will display bias, supporting either a left-leaning, right-leaning, or neutral point of view to best serve the corporation.
Stanford University professor Magnuson highlights,
“The media plays a significant role in American democracy; it wields serious influential power; it uses this ...

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