So bizarre that this isn't considered a national crisis, especially by politicians on the left. We're sleepwalking into an environment where like 80% of available information is right-wing propaganda and the rest is behind a paywall.
Reposted from
Vikram Bath
You’d expect the rate at which newspapers eliminated jobs would taper off to exponential decay at some point, but no. They just keep firing people like they expect to go to 0 humans employed by 2030
Comments
https://lotusmedia.org/you-need-to-know-the-powell-memo
https://billmoyers.com/content/the-powell-memo-a-call-to-arms-for-corporations/
https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/democracy/the-lewis-powell-memo-a-corporate-blueprint-to-dominate-democracy/
Switch to online papers made that history transitory! Web sites altered, or not preserved.
That often included investigatory journalism, holding feet to the fire FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD. The Pulitzer meant something.
Yay, Pro Publica!
It's tragic we are sleep walking into a future where new completely atrophies, like manufacturing did after offshoring.
If we ever get serious it will be a complete rebuild, wasting so much talent and expertise.
https://cepr.net/the-problem-for-musicians-and-writers-is-the-internet-not-monopolistic-corporations/
I'd rather give the money directly to the local orgs.
https://www.reportforamerica.org/
Right wing billionaires spent the same money to buy up all the local radio and TV stations….
Billionaire
Pick one
no. absolutely not.
https://bsky.app/profile/cabroome.bsky.social/post/3kje4memlfn2t
Apple News+ maybe the most successful example
there've been countless attempts, good answers for why this doesn't work, but imo can't give up on it
Ok.
Patrick Soon-Shiong already owns LA Times, isn't right wing.
Problem is bad but not *as* bad as graph implies. We strongly suspect it misses digital-only (esp. non-profit digital-only).
1/
Here is just one.
https://democracypolicy.network/agenda/strong-people/strong-communities/local-news-dollars
Left-wing billionaires don't really exist but foundations and wealthy have been doing some good in this space.
#Journalism
2/3
https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/journalism-directory
The #LocalNews picture IS bleak, but there are reasons for hope.
I'm not sure print media can be saved in the face of more compelling formats.
If there was some re-calibration there, it would help a lot.
Democracy dies in darkness. Or in this case, in broad daylight like a slow moving car crash, with an onlooking cheering crowd of millions waving “freedom of speech” and “we do our own research” banners - as the car crashes into us all🤦♀️ we are doomed unless people are taught media literary