--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem that we've had is four media…" description: "\"The problem that we've had is four media companies run media, globally. And some say they're on the Right and some say they're on the Left; look, they'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a1/shane-smith-9533_afraid_the-problem-that-we-ve-had-is-four-media_1229253.jpg" --- # The problem that we've had is four media companies run… ![“The problem that we've had is four media companies run media, globally. And some say they're on the Right and some say they're on the Left; look, they're all afraid of losing Ford as a client. So they're all, by definition, huge companies that are going to be inherently conservative.” quote by Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a1/shane-smith-9533_afraid_the-problem-that-we-ve-had-is-four-media_1229253.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a1/shane-smith-9533_afraid_the-problem-that-we-ve-had-is-four-media_1229253.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a1/shane-smith-9533_afraid_the-problem-that-we-ve-had-is-four-media_1229253.jpg) > “The problem that we've had is four media companies run media, globally. And some say they're on the Right and some say they're on the Left; look, they're all afraid of losing Ford as a client. So they're all, by definition, huge companies that are going to be inherently conservative.” [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Major media firms dominate globally, claiming political bias while actually protecting corporate interests, leading to inherent conservatism. **In simple terms:** Big media pretends political bias but serves corporate profit, staying conservative. Key Takeaway Recognize corporate influence behind media narratives. Themes media bias corporate power politics Mood critical skeptical Type analytical journalistic When to use this quote - news consumption - advertising decisions - public policy Key Concepts economics propaganda media studies Questions to Reflect On - How can consumers identify true bias? - What role should regulation play? A Different Perspective Alternative media can also be biased. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) ## Related quotes > [Ideas are inherently conservative. They yield not to the attack of other ideas but to the massive onslaught of circumstance with which they cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/ideas-are-inherently-conservative-they-yield-not-to-the-attack-of/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [There is nothing inherently conservative in the ancient world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/there-is-nothing-inherently-conservative-in-the-ancient-world/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [My family was inherently conservative in their values, in their belief system and how they conducted themselves from a fiscal and financial perspective, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslyn-lewis/my-family-was-inherently-conservative-in-their-values-in-their-belief/) [Leslyn Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslyn-lewis/) > [I think the music industry, for instance, is such a huge, multibazillion-dollar industry and it's become very, very savvy. There's a very short grace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/i-think-the-music-industry-for-instance-is-such-a-huge-multibazillion/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [Behind all the hype shaping the electronic highway are corporate interests. These huge companies are doing the most natural thing in the world to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-schiller/behind-all-the-hype-shaping-the-electronic-highway-are-corporate/) [Herbert Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-schiller/) > [So all of these companies that are going for the big growth, if it continues for any length of time, will outlast their resources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/so-all-of-these-companies-that-are-going-for-the-big-growth-if-it/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [We have to do more than keep media giants from growing larger; they're already too big. We need a new set of rules that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-turner/we-have-to-do-more-than-keep-media-giants-from-growing-larger-they-re/) [Ted Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-turner/) > [When it all started, record companies - and there were many of them, and this was a good thing - were run by people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/when-it-all-started-record-companies-and-there-were-many-of-them-and-2/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [There are still very few companies run by women these days. And, clearly, there are many reasons for that, including what many see as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-woodruff/there-are-still-very-few-companies-run-by-women-these-days-and/) [Judy Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-woodruff/) > [Now record companies are run by lawyers and accountants. The shift from the one to the other was definitely related to when the takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/now-record-companies-are-run-by-lawyers-and-accountants-the-shift/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [Now, I will say, most American companies - most are run by honorable patriotic people who care about their employees and communities. But there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/now-i-will-say-most-american-companies-most-are-run-by-honorable/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [For so long, companies were run using a command-and-control, 'top down' hierarchical method that involved dictating down the command chain and maintaining order. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-allen/for-so-long-companies-were-run-using-a-command-and-control-top-down/) [Kevin Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-allen/) > [Many Chinese companies are run like military camps with military discipline. We do not run a company that way. It does not help the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhang-xin/many-chinese-companies-are-run-like-military-camps-with-military/) [Zhang Xin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhang-xin/) > [I believe that software, and in fact entire companies, should be run in a way that assumes that the sum of the talent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg/i-believe-that-software-and-in-fact-entire-companies-should-be-run-in/) [Matt Mullenweg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mullenweg/) > [People who work for me are working for what I believe in. The leaders who run our companies do so on the basis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/people-who-work-for-me-are-working-for-what-i-believe-in-the-leaders/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) ## More by Shane Smith > [I think there are so many problems in the world today, we have to figure out how to fix them rather than point fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-think-there-are-so-many-problems-in-the-world-today-we-have-to/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [If you're big in Montreal, you're big in Quebec. If you're big in Toronto, you're big in Canada. But if you're big in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/if-you-re-big-in-montreal-you-re-big-in-quebec-if-you-re-big-in/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [I never thought we had a chance of impacting anything. I am just starting to realize that we can change things - not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-never-thought-we-had-a-chance-of-impacting-anything-i-am-just/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [Whenever I view success, I'm dressed as Mozart on an island.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/whenever-i-view-success-i-m-dressed-as-mozart-on-an-island/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [I don't care if I die - look, I'm old - but you want your kids to have good times and a good life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-don-t-care-if-i-die-look-i-m-old-but-you-want-your-kids-to-have/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [American media has just become talk radio, incredibly partisan name-calling and op-eds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/american-media-has-just-become-talk-radio-incredibly-partisan-name/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [I want to build the next CNN with 'VICE' - it's within my grasp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-want-to-build-the-next-cnn-with-vice-it-s-within-my-grasp/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [It's our job to get into the hardest-to-see places and bring back the best footage - we have the best footage of North Korea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/it-s-our-job-to-get-into-the-hardest-to-see-places-and-bring-back-the/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [Every generation has a changing of the guard in media. We do the same stuff that everybody else does, but we just do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/every-generation-has-a-changing-of-the-guard-in-media-we-do-the-same/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [I have a place in Costa Rica that is in the middle of the jungle. There's no Internet. There's no TV. Do I work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-have-a-place-in-costa-rica-that-is-in-the-middle-of-the-jungle/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [When you're 18, 19, you want to live fast and leave a beautiful corpse behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/when-you-re-18-19-you-want-to-live-fast-and-leave-a-beautiful-corpse/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [If you're coming from America to Iraq, then how are you supposed to be objective? I mean, you could pay lip service to being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/if-you-re-coming-from-america-to-iraq-then-how-are-you-supposed-to-be/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [You have to be dynamic. You have to be able to change. So a lot of times we'll go to a country or go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/you-have-to-be-dynamic-you-have-to-be-able-to-change-so-a-lot-of/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [I woke up. I was like, "Look, you can do anything you want - and you want a lot of things, so you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-woke-up-i-was-like-look-you-can-do-anything-you-want-and-you-want-a/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [I want to be like Tom Freston. Tom just flies around everywhere, gets to make movies, gets to start TV shows, hang out with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-want-to-be-like-tom-freston-tom-just-flies-around-everywhere-gets/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) [Explore all 72 Shane Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) ## More Afraid quotes > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I'm a pretty fearless person. I'm afraid of, like, creepy men in white vans and sidewalks with no streetlights. But I'm not afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-totah/i-m-a-pretty-fearless-person-i-m-afraid-of-like-creepy-men-in-white/) [Josie Totah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-totah/) > [I will support my party when they are right on an issue, but am not afraid to stand up to party bosses who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-senger/i-will-support-my-party-when-they-are-right-on-an-issue-but-am-not/) Darlene Senger > [Why am I so afraid to loose you,when you're not even mine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-am-i-so-afraid-to-loose-you-when-you-re-not-even-mine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to tell you, but I cant, becuase I'm afraid if I do you'll never treat me same the again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/i-want-to-tell-you-but-i-cant-becuase-i-m-afraid-if-i-do-you-ll-never/) [Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/) > [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [“Humans are naturally scared and confused beings. They not only fear the unknown, as they live fearing themselves... ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/humans-are-naturally-scared-and-confused-beings-they-not-only-fear/) [Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/) > [If you are too afraid of failure, you cant possibly do what needs to be done to succeed in living a fulfilling life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-are-too-afraid-of-failure-you-cant-possibly-do-what-needs-to/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [We cannot be afraid of the dark that they live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnie-burns/we-cannot-be-afraid-of-the-dark-that-they-live-in/) [Burnie Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burnie-burns/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I'm still with that feeling that I am afraid of doing the wrong thing, because somebody is going to punish me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-m-still-with-that-feeling-that-i-am-afraid-of-doing-the-wrong-thing/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) Browse all 5,519 Afraid quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The problem that we've had is four media companies run media, globally. And some say they're on the Right and some say they're on the Left; look, they're all afraid of losing Ford as a client. So they're all, by definition, huge companies that are going to be inherently conservative.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shane Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/the-problem-that-we-ve-had-is-four-media-companies-run-media-globally/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afraid" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/the-problem-that-we-ve-had-is-four-media-companies-run-media-globally/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a1/shane-smith-9533_afraid_the-problem-that-we-ve-had-is-four-media_1229253.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a1/shane-smith-9533_afraid_the-problem-that-we-ve-had-is-four-media_1229253.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a1/shane-smith-9533_afraid_the-problem-that-we-ve-had-is-four-media_1229253.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The problem that we've had is four media companies run media, globally. And some say they're on the Right…” — Shane Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Shane Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The problem that we've had is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/the-problem-that-we-ve-had-is-four-media-companies-run-media-globally/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/the-problem-that-we-ve-had-is-four-media-companies-run-media-globally/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```