The American free press is a myth. What we have is a corporate media system, designed not to inform, but to control. The consolidation of this power is the single greatest threat to our democracy today.
How We Got Here: The 1996 Tipping Point
The landscape was fundamentally reshaped by the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Signed by President Clinton after intense lobbying, it deregulated media ownership. The result was not innovation, but a historic consolidation. Media giants swallowed independent outlets, creating the monopolies we see now.
The Real TikTok “Threat”
The recent, bipartisan crusade against TikTok had little to do with proven national security risks. The CIA itself found no evidence of Chinese espionage. The true danger was its uncontrolled algorithm.
- It became a primary news source for 40% of adults under 30.
- During the war in Gaza, it showed perspectives absent from corporate channels.
The establishment’s solution was not to debate the content, but to seize the platform. The forced sale to U.S. interests was a blunt reassertion of narrative control.
The “Big Four” Media Monopoly
Nearly all information consumed in the U.S. flows through four conglomerates, bound by profit motives and shared ideology.
1. The Ellison Empire (Paramount)
- Assets: CBS, MTV, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon.
- Key Figure: Larry Ellison, Oracle founder.
- Connections: Ties to CIA/Pentagon via Oracle; largest private donor to the Israeli military; close friend of Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Role in TikTok: Central to the forced sale, bringing the last major independent social platform under establishment control.
2. Disney
- Assets: ABC News, ESPN, Marvel, Star Wars, Hulu.
- Real Owners: Institutional investors (Vanguard, BlackRock).
- The Incentive Model: These firms also invest heavily in U.S. and Israeli defense contractors. They don’t dictate headlines; they enforce profit-driven conformity, punishing risk and dissent.
3. Comcast
- Assets: NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Universal Pictures.
- Case Study in Censorship: MSNBC hosts Mehdi Hasan and Ayman Mohyeldin—who consistently platformed Palestinian voices—had their popular shows canceled during the war in Gaza. The reason was clear: their coverage crossed a red line for the corporate parent.
- Assets: CNN, HBO, DC Comics.
- The Access Trade: CNN’s “objective” reporting depends on access to official sources (White House, Pentagon, Israeli government). Criticizing those sources jeopardizes that access, ensuring coverage defaults to the establishment line.
The Unifying Ideology: Zionism
This is not about left vs. right. It’s about a shared pro-establishment worldview. A glaring common thread is Zionism.
- From the personal politics of CEOs (Ellison, Warner’s David Zaslav) to the investment portfolios of major shareholders (Disney, Comcast), support for Israel is embedded in the system’s financial and political DNA.
Conclusion: This Is Modern Empire
The TikTok saga was a rare, public glimpse of the machinery. The goal is narrative discipline. When a handful of corporations—interlocked with the same banks, governments, and ideology—control the story, they don’t just shape the news. They shape reality.
The free press isn’t struggling. It was bought. Recognizing this architecture of control is the first step to building something truly free.
This article is a repurposed version of the video on the same topic by uncivilized.
