Implementing technological developments

19. About cross-ownership
Negroponte thinks cross-ownership is good.

• Bits co-mingle so help explain each other.
• Companies pick up additive abilities to collect and distribute information.
• Co-mingled companies are stronger so more stable.

Ed thinks cross-ownership may be bad.

• Competition helps keep companies working hard.
• Competition helps keep companies honest.
• The bigger the company, the more insulated and hard to influence.

Media Concentration Chart

Who Owns What? (use pulldown; tell us, in class, which company "strikes" or "surprised" the most).

*NBC Making a Clean Start in a House of Mixed Media

*FCC modifies ownership rules

*Convergence across platforms, within the brand (Onion)

Question for Study

Does cross-ownership primarily benefit (only) owners? Or do users/does the public benefit? Cite specific examples from the readings.

Want to learn more?

Media concentration debate pages