Corporations and Social Networks
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Social networks and sharing sites are invaluable resources for anyone—but especially for the indies out there who have a message, a new documentary, or an album, but don’t have the funds for an expensive ad campaign. And the fact that big corporations are making use of these tools seems harmless for now, but we need to make sure that there’s always room for the indie culture.
What started out as personal and independent social networks and sharing websites are now corporatized. YouTube is owned by Google, Facebook is partially owned by Google’s “rival” Microsoft, and MySpace is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s ever-growing News Corp. This was apparent during the Superbowl, which was broadcast on Fox, when the announcers urged viewers who missed some of the commercials to go to MySpace and watch them.
Speaking of commercials, this year’s Superbowl ads are being viewed more than the actual game thanks to video sharing sites, social networks, and even news websites like MSNBC.
The digital age is changing the marketing strategies of big corporations—they’re taking advantage of viral marketing. Which is fine. Everyone should be allowed to use these resources. We just need to be careful because things can become dangerous when one company owns so many media outlets. Content can become discreetly censored or controlled.
Most recently, Montel Williams (whose show airs on Fox), appeared on the FoxNews program Fox and Friends on January 26th, 2008. While on air, Williams expressed his discontent that FoxNews devoted excessive news coverage on Heath Ledger’s death, while ignoring the soldiers that have recently died in Iraq.
Four days later, it was announced that the Montel Williams Show is being cancelled, after seventeen years. Coincidence? Maybe so, maybe not. But we still need to watch out for issues like these so the independent culture doesn’t get left in the dust.
Here are some websites for you to get away from, or to keep an eye on, corporate media.
Independent/Alternative News
· Free Press
· Alternet
· Media Channel
Media Watchdogs
· Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR)
· Media Matters
· Newswatch.org
—Posted by Brittany Mayne
