1. Our media is in the hands of very few large and powerful companies. What is the cost of this practice? Consider political and economic influences. In the textbook Beyond Borders, on pages 60 to 74, Michael Parenti's article "Mass Media: For the Many, by the Few" provides extensive detail on the few corporations that control the media and on the costs of this practice. First, let's talk about what constitutes media. We have newspapers, magazines, radio, films, television, etc. Television and radio are the most dominated forms of media and are in the hands of four giant networks, namely ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX. These media companies not only own television networks, but also other forms of media, such as: cable companies, book publishing houses, movie studios, satellite television, etc. Since the broadcast industry failed to put in place adequate regulatory policies, competition has decreased, resulting in great economic influence. Competition was supposed to drive prices down, but cable and phone rates went up. Furthermore, media owners do not hesitate to exercise control over news content. They frequently kill stories they don't like and inject their own preferences in other ways. In other words, they determine which person, which facts, which version of the facts and which ideas should reach the public. The media can also have political influence. “Progressive candidates are not only competing against well-funded opponents, but also against the media's many frivolous distractions. It is almost impossible for these candidates to try to run a meaningful campaign because the media will withhold their coverage. The few companies can spin the media in all directions. In short, the media is in the middle of paper...... Works Cited1. Parenti, Michael. “Mass media: for the many, by the few.” Beyond Borders: Thinking Critically about Global Issues. New York: Worth, 2006. 60-74. Print.2. International Labor Organization. “Facts about child labor.” Beyond Borders: Thinking Critically about Global Issues. New York: Worth, 2006. 396-97. Print.3. United Nations Bulletin on Eradicating Poverty. “Global Poverty and Hunger Fact Sheet.” Beyond Borders: Thinking Critically about Global Issues. New York: Worth, 2006. 398-99. Print.4. “Globalization in daily life. » Beyond Borders: Thinking Critically about Global Issues. New York: Worth, 2006. 471-571. Print.5. Ferrée, Myra Marx. “Globalization and feminism: opportunities and obstacles to activism on the world stage.” Globalization: the transformation of social worlds. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. 291-302. Print.