Should media outlets become private companies?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Should media outlets become private companies?". Your opponent's style: Devil's Advocate

Media outlets like CNN, NBC, ABC and so on should not recieve government funding and therefore prevent it from being controlled and influenced by an administration. Media outlets should be privately organized and independent.

You're describing a problem that doesn't actually exist in America — and solving it creates a far worse one. Here's the thing: CNN, NBC, and ABC *already don't receive government funding*. They're already private corporations. So you're not arguing against some threat of government control — you're defending a system that's *already* producing exactly what you claim to fear. These outlets aren't corrupted by government money because there *is* no government money. Yet somehow they still serve corporate interests, chase sensationalism, and systematically distort reality to maximize profits and engagement. Murdoch's Fox didn't need a government check to become a propaganda machine — it needed an audience willing to buy it. The real problem is that private media has *no accountability structure*. A government-funded public broadcaster like the BBC or PBS operates under public charter, with legal obligations to balance coverage and serve the public interest. Private outlets answer only to shareholders and advertisers. They can lie with impunity, suppress stories that hurt their owners' business interests, and manufacture consent for whatever narrative sells. At least with government funding comes transparency, oversight, and the theoretical ability for citizens to demand accountability through democratic processes. You want independence from government influence? Fine. But private doesn't mean independent — it means dependent on whoever has the deepest pockets and the most to gain from controlling the narrative. So here's my question: If a Rupert Murdoch can own half the media landscape and shape an entire nation's politics without a single government dollar, how is privatization actually protecting us from influence and control?