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Media Critic Robert McChesney, Champion of Journalism Reform, Dies at 72
Robert W. McChesney, a prominent media scholar and commentator who critiqued corporate influence in American journalism and cautioned against the dominance of online information by Silicon Valley giants, passed away on March 25 at his residence in Madison, Wisconsin. He was 72. McChesney, known for his left-leaning perspectives, argued that concentrated media ownership undermined journalistic integrity and posed a threat to democratic principles in the digital age. His work explored the impact of capitalism and technological advancements on the media landscape and its societal role.
Cause of Death
The cause of death was glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, according to his wife, Inger Stole.
Academic and Journalistic Background
McChesney’s expertise spanned both academic and practical journalism. Holding a Ph.D. in communications and having taught at universities, he also possessed firsthand experience in print media. He served as the founding publisher of The Rocket, a Seattle-based music publication that notably reviewed Nirvana’s debut single, showcasing his early involvement in influential cultural movements.
Critique of Corporate Media and the Internet
Throughout his extensive body of work, comprising over a dozen books and numerous articles and interviews, Professor McChesney consistently maintained that news organizations under corporate ownership exhibited excessive deference to established political powers. He asserted that this corporate control limited the diversity of viewpoints accessible to the American public. Furthermore, he contended that the initial promise of the internet as a platform for diverse opinions had been stifled by the consolidation of online platforms in the hands of a few powerful corporations.
Early Warnings on Media Consolidation
In his 1999 book, “Rich Media, Poor Democracy,” McChesney issued an early warning about the risks of media consolidation, arguing that it could erode democratic values. His widely recognized 2013 publication, “Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism Is Turning the Internet Against Democracy,” challenged the optimistic view that the digital revolution would automatically lead to a more open and democratic information environment.
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Impact of the Internet on Journalism
Instead of democratization, McChesney argued, the internet was dismantling the traditional business models of newspapers. He observed a shift away from public-interest journalism focused on local governance towards sensationalist content of limited civic value, such as celebrity gossip, viral videos, and self-absorbed narratives.
Capitalism and the Internet
McChesney attributed these negative trends to the inherent nature of capitalism. He wrote, “The profit motive, commercialism, public relations, marketing, and advertising — all defining features of contemporary corporate capitalism — are foundational to any assessment of how the Internet has developed and is likely to develop.”
Advocacy for Public Media Funding
As an avowed socialist, Professor McChesney proposed government initiatives to support non-profit journalism. He advocated for providing every American with $200 vouchers to donate to non-profit news outlets of their choosing, aiming to bolster independent media.
Political Engagement
McChesney actively supported Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns. Sanders, in turn, acknowledged McChesney’s influence by writing the foreword to his book “Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Election Complex Is Destroying America” (2013), co-authored with John Nichols.
Criticism of Mainstream Media Bias
In an interview with Truthout, a non-profit news organization focusing on social justice, McChesney criticized the mainstream media’s coverage of Bernie Sanders during the 2016 presidential primaries, which Sanders ultimately lost to Hillary Clinton. He specifically cited CNN and MSNBC as exhibiting significant bias in favor of “centrist” candidates who represented the political status quo.
“One can only imagine how Sanders would have done if he had coverage from MSNBC similar to what Obama received in 2007-08,” McChesney commented, suggesting a disparity in media treatment.
Accolades and Controversies
Conservative commentator David Horowitz included Professor McChesney in his 2006 list of the “101 Most Dangerous Academics in America,” categorizing him among “tenured radicals” allegedly indoctrinating students. In contrast, Utne Reader recognized Professor McChesney in 2008 as one of the “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World,” highlighting his contrasting public perceptions.
Concerns Over Online Information Control
In 2016, Professor McChesney cautioned against the excessive power held by corporate giants, then primarily Facebook and Google, in controlling online information and shaping public knowledge. He argued that this concentration of power was detrimental to a free press and a free society.
Call for Nationalization
“This is really antithetical to anything remotely close to a free press and a free society,” he stated in an interview with the left-leaning “Democracy Now!” news program. To address these monopolistic tendencies, he proposed nationalizing internet behemoths, transforming them into quasi-public services similar to the postal service.
Founding of Free Press
Professor McChesney co-founded Free Press in 2003, a public advocacy group dedicated to opposing corporate consolidation in the news industry. The organization spearheaded national campaigns advocating for net neutrality, promoting equal internet access for all content creators, regardless of size or platform.
Early Life and Education
Robert Waterman McChesney was born on December 22, 1952, in Cleveland. He was one of two sons born to Samuel P. McChesney Jr., an advertising executive, and Edna (McCorkle) McChesney.
Education and Career Beginnings
Growing up in Shaker Heights, a Cleveland suburb, he attended Pomfret School in Connecticut. In 1977, he earned a bachelor’s degree in politics and economics from Evergreen State College in Washington. Subsequently, after roles as a sports reporter for U.P.I. and an editor at The Seattle Sun, an alternative weekly publication, he became the publisher of The Rocket in 1979. The Rocket became known for documenting the burgeoning Seattle grunge music scene of the 1980s and 1990s.
Academic Career
Driven by intellectual curiosity, he pursued graduate studies at the University of Washington, obtaining a Ph.D. in communications in 1989. He then spent a decade teaching in the journalism and mass communication department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Later, he and Dr. Stole, his wife, also a communications Ph.D., relocated to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. There, he held the position of Gutgsell Endowed Professor in the communications department.
Published Works
Professor McChesney’s extensive bibliography includes “Will the Last Reporter Please Turn Out the Lights?” (2011), co-authored with Victor Pickard, and “Corporate Media and the Threat to Democracy” (1997), further demonstrating his prolific output.
Family and Later Works
Besides his wife, Inger Stole, he is survived by his daughters, Amy and Lucy McChesney, and his brother, Samuel P. McChesney III.
In his later book, “People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy” (2016), co-written with John Nichols, Professor McChesney addressed the potential for artificial intelligence and digital advancements to eliminate numerous job categories.
Final Perspectives
“Capitalism as we know it is a very bad fit for the technological revolution we are beginning to experience,” he argued in an interview concerning this book.
“Our argument is that we currently have a citizenless democracy,” he continued. “By that we mean a governing system where all the important decisions of government are made to suit the interests and values of the wealthiest and most powerful Americans, and the corporations they own.”