Time Warner (AIM)

In a previous blog, I stated that instant messenger was my favorite media to use. The service provider that I use for instant messaging is AIM (AOL Instant Messenger). The company that runs and produces AIM is AOL, LLC. Ralph Hanson tells us in his Mass Communication book that AOL is one of the only 6 companies to control the majority of the media output in the United States. Those six companies are: Time Warner; Disney; Viacom, Bertelsmann, News Corporation, and General Electric. AOL made a bid to buy Time Warner in 2000 and the merger was completed in 2001 which made Time Warner the largest media company in the United States. Time Warner owns various book publishing companies, magazines, recording labels, cable networks, cable television operations, broadcast television networks, and movie studios.
I still have to say that although I’ve used various services and means of Time Warner media my favorite medium that Time Warner supplies is AIM. After researching and trying to find out a bit more on AIM and what exactly the gatekeepers do to supply me with this medium, I found out that instant messenger actually started in an early form in 1985 (neat…considering I was born that year)! Browsing this website from AOL I found out how AIM evolved from it’s origin to what it is today. The new AIM 6.0 has many features that the gatekeepers put in to allow the users to incorporate many types of media into their lives. Using AIM allows users to message, chat, and find up to date information about topics such as music or games. Users can even keep track of their business meetings and acquaintances which includes a heightened security feature. Time Warner also makes sure to provide each AIM user with the wonderful AIM Today page. This page includes various headlines, advertisements, and clips of upcoming movies that Warner has produced. This 'synergy' as mass communications likes to call it, allows Time Warner to use one media it provides to advertise other media as well—a joint effort to make sure both parts of the company succeed. Although of course the Time Warner gatekeepers are sure to monitor what content the media user is exposed to by only advertising and subjecting users to other mediums that Time Warner owns or produces. With all the built in features of AIM the Average Joe media user such as myself can keep track of all areas of their life while still keeping informed about new media, upcoming events, and keeping in touch with others all around the world.