Today, consolidation of power throughout society is increasing at a rapid pace. From the television shows we watch, to the news sites we visit, to the music we listen to and our financial institutions, the amount of control has passed from the many to the few.
The many different brands we use give us the illusion of choice but, more often than not, the real power is consolidated in just a few corporations or individuals.
Thirty years ago 50 different corporations dominated what, today, we call the mainstream media. Now that control has been centralized around 6 major corporations. If you look at any type of media outlet today, chances are they will have links to one of these companies.
It is not without significance that all these major media conglomerates are also corporate members of the Council on Foreign Relations. This organization is a US think-tank whose members have been instrumental in formulating US government policies including greater media deregulation, which is how we arrived at such media ownership concentration in the first place.
These same corporations also have significant influence over what news information is available on the Internet, it being only slightly more diverse - but that number is shrinking as well.