The new media ownership game.

THERE HAS BEEN a predictable amount of fear-mongering about the supposed impact of the changes in media ownership rules. Fear of a reduction in the diversity of media outlets, of monopolisation of markets by major players, of loss of jobs for journalists, of domination of the political debate by a few proprietors, of large advertisers, and so on. The fears are amorphous and speculative, based on no evidence or genuine analysis. The response also shows how backward-looking most media commentators and analysts are; they pay obeisance to the growth of the internet and the communications revolution under way, but dismiss these changes when talking about ownership issues.