Koch Brothers Looking At Massive Media Buyout

[GoLeft TV]

From DeSmogBlog:

Rumors are swirling around the Internet that Koch Industries is hoping to acquire a powerful new asset: The Tribune Company. The Tribune Company owns a large swath of newspapers across America, including the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Times, two papers with an extraordinary reach.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Koch Industries is considering purchasing Tribune because they are intensely interested in the clout that could be gained through the editorial pages of their papers. However, Think Progress notes that a spokesperson for the company refused to confirm or deny the rumors, stating that they cannot comment on “deals or rumors of deals,” so there is no official word on a buyout at this time.

The decision to purchase a large media outlet like The Tribune Company would be a logical one for the Koch Empire. They would be following in the footsteps of oil giants Chevron, Exxon, and Halliburton, who have all at some point sat on the boards of major media outlets.

A media buyout for Koch would allow them to control the message machine, which could be a disaster for America. In the past, corporate-controlled media outlets have been forced to shelve or otherwise censor stories that could damage the reputation of prominent board members and advertisers, thereby withholding valuable, pertinent information from the American electorate. Owning their own media outlets would effectively silence any critical voice against the Koch brothers in those markets.

Full story can be found here.

[BlueStreak]

1. I have mixed emotions

One part of me says it is a real problem for those assholes to control these papers. Another part of me says I don't recall reading anything useful in these papers in the past decade, and maybe this is the best way to hasten the move to netroots.

Will this be as successful as Murdoch's purchase of MySpace?

[truebrit71]

2. I remember when the LA Times was derided as a 'liberal rag'...

...usually when I was calling them trying to sell them a subscription admittedly...

The Trib is a right-wing rag now, so I'm not sure what a huge difference being owned by a pair of Koch's would make...

[BlueStreak]

3. re; the Trib, Koch ownership would actually be a good thing

As you say, they have become a right wing rag in recent years. Having the Koch Brothers own them would end any pretense that they are an objective source.

[Warpy]

4. They'll just continue the trend

of firing reporters and editorial staff and just running AP stories verbatim, tucked in between the ads.

With the paper being nothing people can't find online at the AP site, subscription rates will go down, advertisers will flee, and another big paper will bite the dust.

[freshwest]

5. They've just about bought it all. A scourge on modern communication. Now mass hypnosis.

Which is excellent for inciting hatred and stifling any dissenting views. Revising every historical event so no one below a certain age will know that the world was any different than their corporatist dystopia.

[We People]

6. The greed of these people extends beyond just piling up wealth

Didn't we used to have laws against this kind of thing?

I'm convinced that they would purchase God if they could.

[lonestarnot]

7. If they bought every fucking piece of media available, who the fuck is gona believe their shit?