But globalization is, among other things, about fundamental economic change for millions no, billions of people in the world. We are talking realignments, restructuring, dislocation, and, yes, corporate profits. The profit motive and the insatiable demand for larger profit margins are journalism s worst enemies today. As media corporations gobble each other up, the bottom line is increasingly paramount. Older, experienced, more expensive reporters are tossed out like yesterday s garbage.
Media conglomerates are, of course, global phenomena.
So, too, is the drive for higher ratings and greater monopoly concentration. In the U.S., national news shows plan specific stories to appeal to specific age and demographic groups, to impress and attract advertisers. The line between business considerations and journalism is frequently blurred. Too often now, news organizations are unwilling to alienate advertisers or to undertake expensive investigative reporting. In Russia, we ve seen the raw political and financial pressures on journalism.