Independent media is crucial amid an increasingly polarizing society and expansive corporate, capitalist media consolidation. In many respects, news is now functioning as spectacle for profit, rather than relaying important information or creating impactful community-driven stories. A way that we combat this is through the support of independent media. A free press is not only important for a functioning democracy, but also for a thriving society.
Presented by the Park Center for Independent Media, the 18th Annual Izzy Award Ceremony will be held 7-9 p.m. April 22, honoring “outstanding achievement in independent media.” The award is named after I.F. “Izzy” Stone, who contributed journalistic work that “exposed government deception, McCarthyism, and racial bigotry” in the 1950s. The award ceremony is a part of the larger Izzy Fest, with events spanning April 21-22.
Journalists have vital voices that hold those in power accountable for their actions and give the masses accurate information. President Donald Trump, through the threat of legal action, discrediting the reliability of news networks and decreased funding toward public broadcasting, has shown he is in opposition to the free press.
The landscape of journalism is also radically shifting because large corporations are taking up most of the space. According to the Chicago Booth Review, 40% of local TV news stations are under Gray Television, Nexstar Media Group or Sinclair Broadcast Group. Combined, they “operate in more than 80 percent of US media markets.” If the interest and priorities of the owners of these news organizations are functioning for profit, rather than meaningful reporting, there is undoubtedly a problem.
While large media corporations might be free from government control in some aspects, they are anything but free from market demands. This manifests itself in stories only being prioritized based on how much engagement they will get. That is always a losing game, and results in media fetishism. This problem grows exponentially as media consumption shifts more toward social media platforms. According to the New York University Borderlands, quantified metrics, like views or likes, appear as natural indicators of worth, rather than being the results of algorithmic design. This causes audiences to think the reporting that is best for profit is the most important reporting. False equivalences like this promote sensationalist news, or reporting on issues that companies know get the most clicks.
As citizens, it is our responsibility to consume media in a critical way to counteract the capitalist and corporate landscape. By prioritizing independent news organizations over corporate media conglomerates, people can ensure they receive reporting that is impactful and freer from the interests of elites benefiting from public polarization. Events like Izzy Fest and awards recognizing the importance of independent media are the first step of many steps we need to take to combat media consolidation. While profit and algorithms are immensely powerful motives, we as citizens still have our own agency.
