“The illusion of choice” describes a false sense of control rooted in an individual’s belief that they have more options than they do. And though it may seem surprising, this fallacy is particularly applicable to navigating the modern news landscape. When it comes to sources, the possibilities are seemingly endless. A treasure trove of labels implore consumers to be careful where they click. There’s “good” and “bad” media. Left-leaning and right-leaning. Objective and unabashedly biased.

Don’t be fooled. There’s less variety than you think.

In 2020, Tech Startups reported that six corporations control 90% of media outlets throughout the US. This immense power is consolidated in 232 executives, who essentially control the information feed of 277 million people for a combined net worth of $430 million.

Additionally, according to a 2016 Pew Research Center survey, five large companies controlled 37% of local TV stations in the country, meaning that the media is ultimately a corporate business. Who controls the media has a great deal of influence on what the media is. For television, this means a shift toward national news. A 2019 American Political Science Review study analyzed the content and viewership of 743 local television stations in late 2017 when the large conglomerate owner Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired many of them. The study found a 25% shift in national political reporting by the newly Sinclair-controlled groups.

Conglomerate ownership of local stations drives down local coverage because it is more cost-efficient to produce content that can be widely broadcast. This national shift carries potentially harmful implications for political activism at a local level, as citizens may become less informed on their community issues as a result of the broader focus.

Furthermore, the study found that the ownership change resulted in a “significant rightward shift in the ideological slant of coverage,” reflecting broader concerns over the effects of media control on political bias. In 2016, Sinclair Broadcast Group aired 15 “exclusive interviews” with former president Donald Trump that targeted voting blocs in crucial states. Though the conglomerate denied any agenda, it later hired a former Trump White House official as a political analyst. It also required its commentaries to read a script mirroring Trump’s “fake news” rhetoric.

Additionally, print journalism may shift to accommodate its owner’s political views or demands. Editorial boards may prioritize content catered toward their owner’s beliefs over their own, and publications may prioritize political coverage. A 2017 University of Richmond study collected data on the Wall Street Journal over 27 months around the 2007 sale to Rupert Murdoch. The study found that the publication became increasingly more likely to feature political issues on its front pages than the New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post.

When it comes to media control and corporate interest, coverage may not be coincidental. Consumers should work to remain aware of the power behind their sources, whether consolidated at a local or national level, and consider how political, financial, and business factors may be influencing their information feed.