The American people should be made aware of the trend toward monopolization of the great public information vehicles and the concentration of more and more power over public opinion in fewer and fewer hands.

This line is associated with Spiro T. Agnew’s late-1969 campaign, as Vice President, to criticize the influence of major national news organizations and broadcast networks. In speeches and televised addresses during the Nixon administration’s first term, Agnew argued that a small, unelected group of media executives, editors, and commentators exercised disproportionate power over what Americans saw and heard, shaping public opinion without democratic accountability. The remark fits the broader political moment of intense conflict over Vietnam, protests, and “law and order,” when the administration sought to challenge hostile coverage and to frame media concentration as a public-policy concern rather than merely a partisan dispute.

Agnew’s statement warns that when ownership and control of mass communication consolidate, the range of viewpoints reaching the public can narrow, giving a small number of decision-makers outsized influence over political perception. The phrase “great public information vehicles” treats media outlets as civic infrastructure—tools essential to democratic deliberation—so monopolization becomes a threat to self-government. At the same time, the quote reflects a strategic political critique: by portraying media power as concentrated and unaccountable, Agnew sought to delegitimize critical reporting and rally audiences to distrust elite gatekeepers. The enduring significance lies in its anticipation of recurring debates about media consolidation and agenda-setting power.