When news switched from a public service the networks provided as a condition of their broadcast license to just another profit center, journalism started the fatal shift from fact reporting to 'telling stories'.
Reagan dismantling the Fairness Doctrine hastened the descent.
WOW you perfectly described the evolution of news to entertainment. It also began the decline of local printed news as well as investigative journalists. trump being a cash cow for the media is a really big issue on how they cover him. We need to introduce into schools critical thinking skills so future Americans can see past this nonsense cuz most of Americans today just mindlessly go along with group thinking.
I mentioned this on Twitter as well, but while looking up something about Ron Goldman, I noticed his father Fred, shares a birthday with you and I. We born on December 6th, are an interesting bunch.
This was the beginning of The Kardashians, too. Gross. It’s always been gross. The elevation of Don the Con by means of a fake “reality TV” show is a particularly twisted offshoot of the decline of actual truth. I honestly believe many people - including some so-called journalists - can’t tell the difference any more! People think Facebook or Instagram are communication; they don’t see how toxic, self-promotional and competitive they are. And now we add AI into the mix, without safeguards of any kind!
Bruce's comment below absolutely nails it: "Reagan dismantling the Fairness Doctrine [of the FCC - which essentially required that differing points of view be broadcast] hastened the descent".... That dismantling opened the door to the sociopathic rupert murdoch, ironically an "illegal alien" foreigner who became a multi-billionaire at the expense of 335M+ US citizens, and who has caused immeasurable destruction and misery in our country. Meanwhile, we havent had the collective good sense yet to elect enough honorable, intelligent Congresspeople to fix the problem with appropriate legislation.
So FOX grinds on with its cesspool of grievance mongering, lies, bigotry, and whoring for ratings and profits at the expense of truth and human decency.
Don't forget, Oliver, that O.J. is (not indirectly) responsible for the launch of the Kardashians, still a plague on Earth society, through their patriarch, the late Robert (Simpson's defense attorney).
“Reporters are clearly bored about the details of policy even though a single decision can affect literal billions of lives.”
Not only bored, but largely ignorant. But let’s be fair: The MSM powers that be value access journalism and horse-race reporting because they’ve decided that this is what brings in revenue. Policy is difficult and takes time to master even at the reporting level. If your livelihood depends on access, that’s where you’ll invest your time. To me, more fallout of Reaganomics, where shareholder value is paramount and the only thing that corporations owe to society.
Unfortunately, your piece on OJ and the media succinctly captures everything that went wrong with coverage of that case, which prefigured everything wrong with news media coverage that we suffer today relating to Trump, et al. Well said.
Don Henley captured this zeitgeist in 1982 with "Dirty Laundry"; this started a long time ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwgJgTL5JmE
When news switched from a public service the networks provided as a condition of their broadcast license to just another profit center, journalism started the fatal shift from fact reporting to 'telling stories'.
Reagan dismantling the Fairness Doctrine hastened the descent.
WOW you perfectly described the evolution of news to entertainment. It also began the decline of local printed news as well as investigative journalists. trump being a cash cow for the media is a really big issue on how they cover him. We need to introduce into schools critical thinking skills so future Americans can see past this nonsense cuz most of Americans today just mindlessly go along with group thinking.
I mentioned this on Twitter as well, but while looking up something about Ron Goldman, I noticed his father Fred, shares a birthday with you and I. We born on December 6th, are an interesting bunch.
This was the beginning of The Kardashians, too. Gross. It’s always been gross. The elevation of Don the Con by means of a fake “reality TV” show is a particularly twisted offshoot of the decline of actual truth. I honestly believe many people - including some so-called journalists - can’t tell the difference any more! People think Facebook or Instagram are communication; they don’t see how toxic, self-promotional and competitive they are. And now we add AI into the mix, without safeguards of any kind!
A reminder: OJ was acquitted not because of his race but because of his money.
Oliver, that is a perfect epitaph for O.J. and the aftermath that still lives on. Thank you.
1994 was also the year the World Wide Web was born. We had no idea what was about to hit us.
Bruce's comment below absolutely nails it: "Reagan dismantling the Fairness Doctrine [of the FCC - which essentially required that differing points of view be broadcast] hastened the descent".... That dismantling opened the door to the sociopathic rupert murdoch, ironically an "illegal alien" foreigner who became a multi-billionaire at the expense of 335M+ US citizens, and who has caused immeasurable destruction and misery in our country. Meanwhile, we havent had the collective good sense yet to elect enough honorable, intelligent Congresspeople to fix the problem with appropriate legislation.
So FOX grinds on with its cesspool of grievance mongering, lies, bigotry, and whoring for ratings and profits at the expense of truth and human decency.
Don't forget, Oliver, that O.J. is (not indirectly) responsible for the launch of the Kardashians, still a plague on Earth society, through their patriarch, the late Robert (Simpson's defense attorney).
And let’s not forget Robert Kardashian and the subsequent hell that has unleashed upon us, up to and including Caitlyn Jenner.
“Reporters are clearly bored about the details of policy even though a single decision can affect literal billions of lives.”
Not only bored, but largely ignorant. But let’s be fair: The MSM powers that be value access journalism and horse-race reporting because they’ve decided that this is what brings in revenue. Policy is difficult and takes time to master even at the reporting level. If your livelihood depends on access, that’s where you’ll invest your time. To me, more fallout of Reaganomics, where shareholder value is paramount and the only thing that corporations owe to society.
Unfortunately, your piece on OJ and the media succinctly captures everything that went wrong with coverage of that case, which prefigured everything wrong with news media coverage that we suffer today relating to Trump, et al. Well said.
Well said!
Mr. Willis. Superbly stated. Thank you. Pat Murphy
Excellent overview.
I agree with all of this