by James Agresti Left-leaning media outlets and politicians often condemn “big money” in politics. They argue that wealthy citizens have an “unfair advantage” in free speech because they can generously finance candidates and purchase ads to voice their views. However, the biggest money in politics, by far, is wielded by media corporations and lawmakers. One Media Corporation Versus All Republican Donors According to Federal Election Commission data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, federal Republican presidential candidates, congressional candidates, and special interest groups spent a combined total of $5.5 billion in the latest presidential and congressional election cycles (2015–2018). Over this period, the New York Times corporation had revenues of $6.6 billion—or 20% more than the entire Republican political machinery. The Ochs–Sulzberger family has owned a controlling share of the New York Times for more than a century. Hence, measured by money, this one extended family has more power to speak than the combined donations of all U.S. citizens to federal Republican campaigns and causes. The New York Times Co. is one of many corporations that own media outlets like the Washington Post, ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, NBC News, Time, and CNN. These corporations are sometimes…
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