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How Advertisers’ ‘Invisible Strings’ Control What You Read and Watch

Censorship is a hot topic today, but research reveals corporate media has spent decades burying stories in deference to big-money advertisers.

by Rebecca Strong

Author’s note: In a recent Twitter survey I conducted, nearly 90% of people rated their trust in mainstream media as either “very low” or “low.” And is it any surprise?

Ever-mounting media consolidation has narrowed the perspectives the public is privy to, ownership and funding of these corporations are riddled with conflicts of interest, crucial stories keep suspiciously getting buried and big tech companies are outright censoring and demonetizing independent outlets trying to break through the noise.

The media is supposed to function as a power check — and a means of arming us with vital information for shaping the society we want to live in. It’s never been a more important industry.

And it’s never been more at risk.

In this series, which I kicked off with a piece about the problematic history of media consolidation and followed up with a piece about billionaires buying legacy newspapers, I tackle each factor threatening the media’s ability to serve our democracy — with input from journalists, media critics and professors and other experts.

“The media, like anything else, can be bought. Everything, it seems, has its price. Even the ‘free’ press.” ― Lance Morcan

Full article:

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/advertising-sponsored-content-news-media/

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