This work investigates the rise of individual media moguls and their influence on the global landscape of mass communication during an era of widespread deregulation. Jeremy Tunstall and Michael Palmer, both established scholars in media sociology and communication policy, utilize a comparative framework to analyze how specific entrepreneurs exert control over international media empires. The authors argue that these moguls operate with distinct, often eccentric management styles that significantly impact political and industrial outcomes across Europe and the United States.

Experts recognize this text as a foundational study on the concentration of media ownership and the personal influence of industry titans. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a detailed historical snapshot of the media landscape during the late twentieth century.