power and influence of global media companies are much exaggerated Discuss
AOL-Time Warner is currently the world’s most powerful global media conglomerate. So what are the roles that major global companies play, in terms of their power and influence, in the rapidly growing global media system? Further more, do factors such as cross-selling in these organisations add to the power and influence these companies already have? Today globalisation has expanded so much that its influence is worldwide. The media is truly globalised with media giants such as AOL Time Warner and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, who are spreading themselves to every corner of the globe. Over the years, these media giants have bought out many other companies and merged them into their own making then super media giants. With globalisation being a true threat of the century, we need to ask ourselves if these companies are using their power and influence, through their sheer size and dominance, to push their agenda’s of political and economic values. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that the global commercial system was developed. ... This was so the media and communication systems would coincide with new and improved technologies, such as satellite and digital television. Overall, this resulted in the rise of the Global Media Giants. ... In 1983 there were fifty media companies operating worldwide. ... This shows that although the media companies have decreased overtime, the influence and power has increased as these companies have expanded their interests into many more fields. ... Whatever the effects that global media companies may have on the world, they will continue to use their powerful positions in exporting, as without the consuming power of the rest of the world, they would not have the status that they do today. ... 46): “These companies have come to depend very greatly upon the export of their expertise.” Nine very powerful and influential companies now dominate the global media system.