Likewise, with less fanfare, journalists complain that their profession is turning into a money chase and they must keep pace. Accustomed to a steady rise in the degree of commercialization, few Americans take a leap toward active opposition. A lot of news reports are more akin to product promotion than journalism. They love to speculate about technical advances and fierce battles for market share. But key questions get short shrift.
Prospects are bleak.
Consolidation of media ownership has been so rapid in recent years that now just 10 corporations control most of this country's news and information flow. Those conglomerates are in business to maximize profits. They're hardly inclined to provide much media space for advocates of curtailing their power. For the most part, people who can pay for it. Basic cable service is liable to cost hundreds of dollars per year.