Is Conglomeration Good or Bad?

        Conglomeration is the buying and merging of companies and corporations. When looking through this lens, a person is able to see the connectivity of brands they use everyday. Conglomeration has a main purpose of money through expansion and reduction of competition. Negatives of this concept include fewer jobs, monopoly threats, and fewer original ideas. Conglomeration goes further to push out smaller businesses from getting a start or surviving. Positives include increased profit, less competition, and more content for the public. But even the positives, like more money and less competition, benefit companies instead of the masses. A synergy of content is good for the obsessed and enthusiastic consumer, but in the end, more money is being channeled into that business and the corporation that owns it. One of the positives I can see of conglomeration is the opportunity for credible corporations to strengthen. For example, the Coca-Cola Company owns Honest Tea, Fairlife milk, Minute Maid, Dasani water bottles, and many others. Looking at their website, I learned company values specialize in sustainability, climate protection, and workplace rights. While Coca-Cola company obviously thinks about profits, having multiple companies committed to giving back can be a good thing.
        This poses a related question- can conglomeration cheapen news media? I believe so since conglomeration can make binary models interchangeable. There is an increase in "infotainment" and news companies can easily change between what makes money and what is important for the people to know. Crossing of binary models, such as information and entertainment, also has a flip side because this can make learning more fun and engaging. In addition, companies that own news outlets can control the information coming from that outlet. Conglomeration just employs the need for watchdogs in journalism. Watchdogs can monitor corporations and help ensure a balance.