richard d. parsons - one of the most powerful men in media
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photo by steed media service
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Chairman of the Board, Time Warner
As chairman of the board of Time Warner, Richard D. Parsons oversees one of the greatest distributors of information and entertainment in the world and he understands the responsibility that comes with that power. He works hard to prevent the media from becoming monolithic, both in respect to how it operates and how it depicts and relays information. “There’s a tendency, in terms of the media, to lump people into categories,” he says. Parsons says that tendency leads to generalizations of groups of people who may have varied points of view. “The readers or viewers sometimes tend to think, ‘Well, they must all be the same.’ ”
Parsons advocates revealing the nuances, complexities, differences and similarities in any particular demographic. “It helps to break down stereotypical thinking,” he says. The media exec took part in the highly anticipated HBO documentary “The Black List,” a dialogue with a broad spectrum of accomplished African Americans telling their stories. “I found it very interesting,” he shares. “And I gained a new perspective on people I thought I knew.”
For Parsons, continuing to push forward is both a passion and a responsibility, and he stresses perseverance in all endeavors. “I think survival is success,” he says. “Just [staying] on the field — it’s when they carry you off or you take yourself off that you’ve failed.” But maximizing one’s own greatness is the essence of ‘staying on the field.’ “Greatness is something beyond success,” says Parsons. “Greatness is an aspect of character.”–todd williams
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