When media ownership is monopolized the validity of the information given is debatable at best.  The information is formatted to fit the opinions and views of those controlling it.  Watching the local news oftentimes gives me indigestion; because I know in any minute a reporter will interview the most ignorant, decrepit, uneducated, strung out on crack, black man to talk about why the mayor isn't fulfilling his job or how a fire started.  Yes! I know i'm being harsh, but it always seems the case and it gets old after a while.  And yet, to those doing the interview, they amazingly keep finding those that cannot form a complete sentence.  But isn't this what they want?  Isn't this the image they want portrayed for their white viewers?

Fortunately, more people nowadays are looking elsewhere to get information they can trust.  Mainstream media is losing it's credibility.  People are beginning to question why certain stories that are being fed are not adding up; why pieces of the puzzle are missing.  As consumers become aware of the problems behind media convergence, they begin to question the accuracy of the information given.  NewsCorp. run by Rupert Murdoch, has been looked at questionably and has been accused of being biased with their stories, usually showing republicans in a better light while democrats are viewed more with a negative connotation.  They have, however, declined the accusation saying they are neutral in their publications; but we know what we know.  Is it always the black mother that leaves her children home by themselves?  Is it always the young black male that kills?  Are black Americans the only individuals that can't form coherent sentences?  Going forward, I think we are all aware that the answer to the aforementioned questions are no.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm2xwKfRDJI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ona0jYWa6s&feature=endscreen&NR=1

Looking at Comcast, they monopolized most of America for decades.  When the law changed, introducing Verizon into their mix, Comcast changed the game, merging with NBC.  "The transaction made Comcast, the single biggest cable provider in the United States, one of the biggest owners of cable channels, too."  With power comes responsibility.  But in this case, none has been shown as of yet.  "The scarcity of black ownership on cable pushed activists to pressure Comcast to add more black-owned networks to its system as a price for supporting its pending acquisition of NBCU. They met with limited success."  Not only do they control what we watch, since they monopolize the area, they control how we watch by limiting the minority ownership in networks.

In retrospect, it is not always the local broadcasting network news that depicts people of color in such a negative way.  It is also their sister companies that run by production companies that make movies doing the same thing.  Just like there is a "Big 5" in media ownership there is a "Big 5" in movie production companies.  And those same companies tend the make the same movies showing black individuals negatively.  Black men kill.  Black women are sexualized.  Black women have issues.  Black fathers leave.  Is this not always the case?

It's important for women and minorities to be represented fairly.  "If minorities, women, seniors, people with disabilities, are not employed at news operations at all levels of management, there is no one who can speak with some authority about their conditions and the people who are like them in the community.  This means less coverage of issues of importance to these constituencies." Which is why I feel Oprah Winfrey in this regard is a phenomenal individual.  Oprah Winfrey has made history.  As both a woman and a person of color, she has entered the industry with her OWN network - pun intended.  She has also founded Harpo Productions which includes; Harpo Studios, Harpo Films and Harpo Radio.  Harpo Productions have produced films such as "Beloved" and "The Great Debaters" which are both films that show where minorities are coming from and uplifts people of color.

John Mayer says it best in his song, "Waiting on the World to Change."  What struck a cord were the lines: And when you trust your television, what you get is what you got, cause when they own the information, they can bend it all they want.

Viewers have to be the change.  Stop trusting in everything the media reports on.  View with an open mind.  The idea that we have to take everything we read from newspapers, see on television and hear on the radio at face value is nonsensical.  We need to make our own change and stop waiting for it to be done for us.