How can conglomerates censor information?
They choose all of the stories that media outlets cover.
They set policies that affect all organizations and networks within the corporation, including policies not to use certain actors or discuss certain topics.
The choose every word that news anchors speak.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is: They set policies that affect all organizations and networks within the corporation, including policies not to use certain actors or discuss certain topics.
Conglomerates, which are large corporations owning multiple businesses across different industries, can censor information in various ways, especially when they own multiple media outlets or networks. Here’s how they can do it:
- Setting Editorial Policies: Media conglomerates often impose editorial policies that dictate how stories should be covered, which topics should be discussed, and how certain individuals or groups should be portrayed. This can include avoiding controversial topics, suppressing negative coverage about their own businesses, or shaping narratives to serve the conglomerate’s interests. Such editorial policies help the conglomerate control the tone, framing, and content across all their media outlets.
- Ownership of Multiple Media Outlets: When conglomerates own a large number of media outlets, they can influence the news by choosing which stories are covered and how they are covered. For example, if a conglomerate has a stake in various television channels, newspapers, and digital platforms, they can ensure a uniformity in the stories presented across these platforms, effectively shaping public perception by narrowing the scope of the information people are exposed to.
- Editorial Guidelines for Employees: Conglomerates may set strict guidelines that journalists and news anchors must follow when presenting news. These guidelines can include not mentioning certain public figures, avoiding specific issues, or omitting certain viewpoints. Journalists working under these conglomerates may be pressured to conform to these guidelines to maintain their jobs or career advancement.
While it’s true that conglomerates might influence which stories get reported or affect the language used by anchors to some degree, the broader control they exert is typically through the establishment of editorial policies and corporate culture that shapes the overall narrative across their media assets.