Succession's ATN: More Than Just Fiction

The International American Television Network(ATN) is owned by Waystar Royco in Succession. Source: Fictional Brands Archive

The International American Television Network(ATN), the right-wing news network in the hit HBO series, Succession, may seem like a parody and fictional plot device on the surface. If you look closer, you'll realise that might not be the case. The show is heavily satirical with the stakes often being dramatised, but ATN is a sharp commentary and case study on how media ownership shapes the news we consume, and how this affects democracies.

The news network is owned by Waystar Royco. It is the massive conglomerate that the plot of Succession revolves around. Whenever it makes an appearance on the show, it shows itself as more than just a news network. It becomes a tool of influence. It pushes narratives in favour of the company, becomes an echo chamber for conservative talking points, or subtly molds voter perceptions before an election. At it's core, ATN reflects the principle concept of Political Economy Theory: that whoever owns and funds the media shapes the content they produce.

Media is regarded as "The Fourth Estate". It's meant to serve as an impartial watchdog on governments and the powers that be. When using ATN as a case study, the theory argues that the media isn't as independent and impartial as it seems. News organisations have ties to commercial entities. This makes them susceptible to the influences of advertisers, their owners and the political ties those owners may have.

In Succession, Logan Roy is the family patriarch and the main driving force in Waystar Royco. He his family use ATN as a means to protect what is theirs. Whether that involves targeting their opposition or gaining political leverage, ATN often deviates from just reporting the news. It's mission ends up serving interests of the family, and not the public.

We shouldn't see it as just fiction where the network's effects are amplified for the sake of entertainment. If you actually look at news organisation within the U.S, it becomes eerie when you consider how many parallels you can draw between ATN and the non-fictional Fox News.

Fox News, often simplified as being a mouthpiece for the U.S Republican party, has strong ties to the Murdoch family. Rupert Murdoch and his family are heavily connected to the ownership and operations of Fox News.

Real-world Networks like Fox News have received similar criticisms for the politcal alignment and ownership. Source: Online News Association

In South Africa, Political Economy Theory is just as relevant when we consider that media ownership is just as topical of an issue here. Many of the established news platforms and media houses are privately owned. For some examples, think of Independent Media, News24, or MultiChoice. They target different areas of their markets which mean they have their own commercial interests. These interests, coupled with partnerships, run the risk of potential blind spots being created.

ATN is a reflection real-life media. In Succession, seeing the media through such a condensed lens gives us more questions than answers. What stories get prioritised when a media outlet answers to a corporate entity? What gets silenced? Does "editorial independence" still exist?

These questions matter, whether your a journalist, student or an average certain. We read stories and watch news, but they don't exist on their own. There are often behind-the-scene agendas that influence the news. ATN is definitely fictional, but what created definitely isn't. We should encourage one another to be more cynical in order to look beyond the headlines.