Meaning & use
media mogul
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Meanings
nouncountable
a very powerful person who owns or controls many newspapers, television channels, or other media companies.
Grammar: Countable: say 'a media mogul' or 'several media moguls'; it refers to a person, so it takes 'who' in a relative clause.
Patterns
- a media mogul who owns something
- one of the world's media moguls
The newspaper was bought by an Australian media mogul.
A media mogul who controls both television and radio can shape what millions of people think.
Several media moguls were invited to the hearing about press freedom.
nouncountabledisapproving
a person seen as extremely influential in the world of entertainment and news, often in a way people distrust.
Grammar: Often used with a slightly critical tone, especially in political reporting; still countable and used with 'a'.
Patterns
- be accused of being a media mogul
- the power of media moguls
Critics describe him as a media mogul who cares more about influence than accuracy.
The film shows how a media mogul can make or break a politician's career.
Word forms
| plural | media moguls |
|---|
Common combinations
- powerful media mogul
- A powerful media mogul sat beside the prime minister at the lunch.
- media mogul turned politician
- The media mogul turned politician promised to protect free speech.
- a media mogul's empire
- The media mogul's empire includes three national papers.
- accused of being a media mogul
- She was accused of being a media mogul simply because she owned two magazines.
- rival media moguls
- Rival media moguls competed for the same broadcasting license.
Synonyms and how they differ
- press baron
- Very close in meaning, but it usually suggests ownership of newspapers specifically, whereas 'media mogul' covers TV, radio, and online outlets too.
- tycoon
- A general word for a wealthy, powerful businessperson; it does not by itself say the business is media, so 'media tycoon' is the closer match.
- magnate
- Formal and often used for industry leaders such as shipping or steel magnates; it sounds a little old-fashioned for someone in online media.
- media giant
- This refers to a large company rather than a person, so use it for the corporation itself.
Word family
Commonly confused: media mogul or muggle? media mogul or media tycoon?
media mogul vs muggle
Sounds a little similar but means a person without magical powers in the Harry Potter books; it has nothing to do with business or news.
media mogul vs media tycoon
Almost the same meaning; 'tycoon' is the more general word and can describe leaders in any industry.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'media mogul' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A media mogul is a powerful person who owns media companies, so buying television stations fits. Option 0 describes an ordinary reporter, option 2 treats it as equipment, and option 3 treats it as a machine, which it never is.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “media mogul”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.