Media monopoly over commissioning power undermines democratic self-government

Evidence

All of which means that a few sackings here and there will clearly not suffice. What is needed, as Dan Hind argues, is total media reform: The current structure of power and decision-making in the media cannot now be allowed to remain unchanged. The employees of large media organisations have monopoly control of decisions about what is investigated and what prominence is given to the results of investigations. They have been unable or unwilling to use this monopoly power in the public interest. Accordingly it is time to assert our democratic right to communicate freely amongst ourselves. Each of us must take some some fraction of the commissioning power, the power to initiate and publish inquiries. — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk, 1571

Categorization

• SEED: Useful for arguing the case that ‘engagement’ is a fake stand-in for genuinely distributed commissioning power in journalism today.
• XREF: connects to: Broadcasting’s formal autonomy conceals its ultimate orientation within state hegemony — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 841; Media access structurally favors elites against out-groups whose problems get defined for them — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 851; Media are neither state-controlled nor autonomous but oriented within power structures (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Media are neither state-controlled nor autonomous but oriented within power structures #corroborates (0.90)
• Broadcasting’s formal autonomy conceals its ultimate orientation within state hegemony #expands (0.85) — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 841
• Broadcasting’s editorial autonomy operates within a state-defined hegemonic framework #expands (0.85)
• Broadcast communication between elites and audiences is systematically distorted by structure #corroborates (0.82) — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 783
• Media access structurally favors elites against out-groups whose problems get defined for them #corroborates (0.80) — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 851