Capitalism and Communication: Exploring the impact of corporate control on global culture
In today’s world, capitalism dominates the global economic system, and communication is a vital aspect of this system. Communication shapes public opinion, creates social norms and values, and influences political agendas. However, the role of corporations in controlling communication is often overlooked. This article will explore the impact of corporate control on global culture and how it affects capitalism and communication.
The Corporate Control on Communication
Business corporations have significant power in controlling the flow of communication, which has the power to influence society. The media is a primary example of such corporation-controlled communication. Media platforms like television, radio, newspapers, and social media are all dominated by giant corporations. These corporations exert their influence on the content, which can result in manipulations of information, biased reportage, and often ignoring information for promoting certain agendas.
For instance, in 2017, The New York Times revealed that ExxonMobil, an American multinational oil and gas corporation, had paid over 50 climate change deniers through lobbying groups. The corporation could manage to keep the public in the dark about climate change and slowed down any efforts to combat climate change. The corporation created a false narrative using its influence and control in the media.
The Impact of Corporate Control on Capitalism
Corporate control over the media also affects the functioning of capitalism. In an ideal capitalist system, market forces determine what the media can produce and consumer preferences. But with corporate power in media, it creates an economic link between mass media and corporations.
The media receives advertising revenues from these corporations, and in turn, they can push their products or services for commercial purposes. The power of advertising creates an eco-system of corporations and media, where the ones who advertise the most get the most attention, with no regards for the consumer’s real choice or preference.
The Impact on Global Culture
The impact of corporate control on global culture is another worrisome subject. With corporations manipulating the media for their gains, the cultural values promoted by these corporations create a uniform and one-dimensional cultural space. Art, literature, music, and fashion all get crafted and promoted for commercial purposes only.
The cultural production is no more about creating art or ideas, but about profits. With the media peddling one-dimensional cultural values, it creates a loss of diversity and uniqueness in global culture. It creates a culture that is mass-produced, bland, and an engineered version of what corporations believe people should like.
Conclusion
Corporate power in communication is a significant problem for today’s world. It affects not only economic systems like capitalism but also shapes global public opinion and culture. The media, which should be a bridge between society and what is happening in the world, is corrupted by corporate interests. The fight against corporate control of communication is the fight against the homogenization of cultural values, and we all should to be part of it.
