Meida Barons

Few people like media barons, and few WAISers do. For the last few days, the US Congress has been holding hearings on the "consolidation" of the media. The Federal Communications Commission did a poor job of explaining its decisions. I was puzzled by the charge that the media being studied paid for over 300 trips to Las Begas by the commissioners. Surely that is illegal? There is a fight also in Great Britain, where the accused is Lord Black, who owns Hollinger International, the Chicago Sun-Times, Britain's Daily Telegraph and the Jerusalem Post. The charges against him are described in The Economist (5/31/03). He pays himself and his fellow esecutives $74 million. This exemplifies not public service but typical corporate greed. Some of the world's best newspapers, such as Le Monde, are non-profit cooperatives Their example should be followed.

Ronald Hilton - 6/5/03