Posted 5:09 PM by Gene

Another bold defender of media bigness:

[T]he recent review of research in this area shows that the amount of local content actually can increase.

For example, newspapers in Florida and Arkansas that were bought by the Gannett Company expanded their coverage of local events, though often in the form of disaster and crime stories.

This is like saying that IF IT BLEEDS, IT LEADS! expanded to 90 minutes to do more local stories. Translation: CRIME SELLS.

But not content to rest on her laurels, our proud defender of bigness FORGES AHEAD:

In addition, conglomerates have created niche markets that provide information of interest to particular demographic groups, write the authors. The Black Entertainment Television station, the People en Espanol magazine and the television show “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” all are owned by media giants, including Viacom, Time Warner AOL and NBC.

WOW! I didn't know big media was immune to the seductions of POLITICALLY CORRECT PRESSURE GROUPS!

Unfortunately, there will be more such blatherskite, for media consolidation, like sex and violence, has become A SELF-PERPETUATING SOCIAL-SCIENCE STUDY IN ITSELF.