Gift to Big Media is no gift

The consolidation of media has been the worst thing that could happen to comprehensive reportage and fair advertising prices. Take for instance the chain of newspapers assembled by Thomson Newspapers in Central Ohio, then sold to Gannett, of which the Advocate is a member. When the local paper got sucked up into these chains it began getting bossed and milked by far-away fat-cat investors and squeezed ever-tighter for the last nickel and it shows.

The U.S. government, always in favor of whatever pays off for political contributors, passed new regulations last week that allows even more media consolidation. It was "Bush-appointed FCC Chairman Kevin Martin ... who rammed through the rule changes," according to King Features Syndicate columnist Amy Goodman.

But I'm okay with it. I think this gift to Big Media is no gift at all. If more consolidation makes them worse, as it surely will, then we are one step closer to rebellion by media users and media customers. We are one step closer to finding new media, better media, less expensive media, competing media. The revolution against moguls who suck up to Big Government, already evident in sinking reader trust and advertising revenue, will occur that much faster.

Bring it on.