Open Media Series Number 17 Provides an analysis of the current crisis in the media in the US which, the authors argue, has undermined democracy and has fallen into the hands of a small number of transnational conglomerates that use their political and economic power to carpet bomb the citizenry with commercial messages. Also presents ways in which the media system can be improved and made more responsive to the needs of ordinary people and less dominated by those of the financial and advertising industries.