Elon Musk may be having second thoughts about buying Twitter, but should we have second thoughts about billionaires buying important media platforms?
Whether you love it or hate it, Twitter has turned into an important driver of public opinion and a forum for debate. Is democracy threatened by a single wealthy individual owning a controlling stake in such an influential platform? Is it possible that Musk could make the platform better? Or does it even matter who owns the media?
Musk, after all, isn't the first billionaire to buy a media outlet. Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, Marc Benioff has Time, and John Henry bought The Boston Globe. Rupert Murdoch, of course, made his fortune in media. Should this be a cause for concern, and what is the impact of this dynamic on our politics and culture?