Welcome to Havana, Mr Corleone: Issues of media ownership and control

Abstract

In the United States the media system is set up to maximise profit for a relative handful of large companies. The system works well for them, but it is a disaster for the communication needs of a healthy and self-governing society. The problem is not with the poorly trained or unethical journalists; in fact, I suspect they may well be as talented and ethical as any generation of journalists in memory. It is the context journalists work in that is the problem.

Keywords

• media reforms
• media ownership
• media controls
• professionalism
• commercial interests
• political interests