The Business of Media/If I Were a Media Company Boss

What are some of your favorite movies or TV shows? What platforms do you watch them on? Check out the graphic in the center of this exhibit display showing the largest media conglomerates. A conglomerate is a business that owns many separate companies and only a few of them create and control most of the world’s media. Do you recognize images from any of your favorite media or spot any of your preferred platforms?

Pause the audio track now to compare the worth of these media conglomerates. Press play when you’re ready to continue.

There’s a lot of money in just a few of these media conglomerates, isn’t there? Just a few of these companies decide which TV shows and movies get made and marketed to us.

Now move to the left in front of the exhibit case. The looping video shares statistics about the people who make and star in our favorite media. Pause the audio track now to watch and press play when you’re ready to continue.

Not a very diverse bunch, is it? How do you think the lack of diversity among directors and actors influences the types of shows and movies that get made? Whose perspectives are most often represented?

Now imagine you own a media conglomerate. What kinds of stories would you tell? Who would you cast? If you have time, stop at the table in front of the exhibit case and share your ideas with us to be displayed as part of the exhibit!

There’s lots more to learn about how media messages are constructed. Let’s move on to the next station! Select the track corresponding to your next station when you arrive.