The Media Collapse

This is part of a series of articles I have been working on, detailing how the United States arrived at this moment.

Over the last two generations, perhaps three, we have witnessed the slow collapse of mainstream media. It has been a spectacular thing to watch, and it is accelerating every year. It has become a lot less about holding the powerful accountable and a lot more about keeping the corporate room happy. In a way, this keeps the powerful unaccountable. In short, the days of Watergate and the Pentagon Papers are gone. This does not matter whether it is at the local or national level. Increasingly, the press is covering up malfeasance rather than uncovering it. And some of this is the search for the obvious shiny of ratings. Never mind that those are now collapsing as well. Because let’s be honest, the right in this country did not trust the New York Times to begin with. However, liberals are now seeking information elsewhere as well.

We now have separate information bubbles. It is not two either. It is many. People are searching for information where they can find it. And while US Media outlets, such as The Insider or The New York Times, are still frequently quoted on Telegram, the reality is that Americans have lost trust in these outlets. And it is something these outlets have done to themselves. However, this helps authoritarians, who have been building their media for the…