Disney feeds more than just the Minds of Today's Children

If you have been alive anytime during the past 85 years there is no doubt that you have heard of, and most likely encountered a product from, the Disney Corporation. This giant of a business is the largest distributor of 'family friendly' entertainment and is deeply entrenched in the hearts of many, but how much do we really know about this corporation?

At first glance, Disney is all about entertainment and I believe that this is rightfully truthful, however to most this means that Disney is only involved in its movies, children's television shows and parks and resorts, but in fact they hold control over many media outlets as well. Disney owns ABC and all its affiliated channels, including ABC news. When you think of Disney do you picture soap operas? Well, Disney controls SOAPnet. How about ESPN, Disney owns 80 percent of ESPN and all its affiliated channels, radio stations, magazines and websites. When you're reading your copy of David Letterman's Late Show Fun Facts do you think Disney? Well it was published by Disney, they own Hyperion Books.

But, what does Disney owning so many different companies mean? It means that Disney, a single corporation with a single perspective, controls what you consume in terms of television "entertainment" (ABC sitcoms and SOAPnet programs), television "news" (ABC news and ESPN sports news), radio "sports news" (ESPN radio) and print (Hyperion Books); instilling its own propagated values on you through its involvement in a plethora of different media outlets. There is no escaping Disney and its "family friendly" content.

This cross media ownership is very disconcerting. When one corporation controls the bulk of what you consume on a daily basis then one can be easily manipulated and it can be extremely difficult to find the really truth buried deep inside corporate propaganda.