It's frustrating to me so many people continue to believe the narrative the MSM's obvious pro-Republican bias is the result of something other than calculated intent dictated from the top down by: owners, publishers, editors.
The analysis was great, but I can't think of a single person who compares our inflation to that of other countries when deciding who to vote for. "It's even worse in XYZ" just doesn't sell as a campaign slogan.
The whole world had the same inflation due to covid and the Russians war. So you can't honestly claim, that it's Bidens bad policies or that someone else could have done a better job.
I understand that, but that's not how the electorate in general responds. Half of them couldn't find France on a map, much less tell you what the inflation rate is there.
Biden was horrible at communicating this simple point which is why he shouldn’t have run for reelection after the mid terms. President’s biggest power is the bully pulpit and Biden couldn’t use it.
President-elect was held liable in a Jury Verdict for Sexual Assault (NY might now call it Rape 2025, having decided 2024 to catch up with laws in most other venues). A 2nd Jury fined him $83M for calling the woman who wrote about being assaulted by him a liar. He's selling bibles. GOP are buying.
Trump imposed a 50% tariff on imported washing machines in 2018.
Researchers estimate the cost of washing machines jumped by 12% as a direct result: $86 per unit. His tariffs cost US consumers @ $1.5 Billion a year. Prices on domestically made washers + dryers rose too. Of course.
Fox News doesn't play at "bothsidesing." Is that preferable? The example you've chosen to highlight is complicated as you acknowledge when mentioning Ukraine (and EU policy effects?). The chart would've been great in the article, though it can be "onesided" with a clever choice of time periods.
I view false equivalency as a symptom of unthinking centrism: if you are determined that the truth lies somewhere in the middle, you have to create a middle (constantly shifting right thee days) and then try to recreate opinions as opposing evidence.
They clearly don't teach logic in j-schools.
It’s utterly ironic that the current plight of the “working class” (poor wages, poor over-priced healthcare, poor over-priced education) will only be made worse by this administration.
But it’s been clear for years that the Republicans have a well-oiled spin machine that comes up with their talking points and then they all repeat them. While the Democrats get up there and disagree with each other.
If a presidential candidate were to declare that the earth is flat, you would be sure to see a news analysis under the headline ''Shape of the Planet: Both Sides Have a Point.'' - a Krugman classic.
"Still, Obama should have done much more to hold Wall Street accountable for the financial crisis
Still,should have? That was the whole enchilada. The asset inflation train producing trillionaires god kings is humming. The NYT's raison d'être achieved.
I feel our media has been giving this kind of “he said she said” coverage for a long time now and not just about the economy. There are no facts anymore, only interpretations and feelings.
“Election results shouldn’t change your economic analysis — especially after an election decided by low-information voters who believed Trump’s promise, which he instantly abandoned after the vote, that he would bring down grocery prices”
Prof Krugman-agreed that political views shouldn’t change economic realities.Inflation rose around OECD-economic truth as you say.
But,Working class voters are shifting to the far right across OECD-Germany,France,Italy,US- that is a political truth that we need to understand better.
The "neutral" media has been taught that via their business model that it is unethical to have a POV that might piss off potential Republican subscribers.
Agreed,Krugman is not wrong but I'm more and more convinced people want to be told their feelings are right more than they want the truth. Even more so they want someone to blame as the populace doesn't really think grand economic issues can be fixed
Nailed that one. The "Feels" economy is now the real economy for too many voters. In an interview with a NY Times economic reporter during the On the Media podcast she said her job was to report how people feel about the economy. MSM has figured out that's how you unlock reader loyalty. People...2/
....2/ People just want to be told they are right and have their feelings validated. And if a news co. CEO has to do that to satisfy shareholders and keep up with competitors they'll do it every time
Of course there's a Terry Pratchett quote for this. From the Truth (2000): "Be careful. People like to be told what they already know. Remember that. They get uncomfortable when you tell them new things. ... In short, what people think they want is news, but what they really crave is olds."
Great point by Pratchett as always. Tell me I was right. Give me a right complain and especially that my complaining is valid. Keep me comfortable with the status quo and I'll keep voting for you
Biden’s failure to simply explain the reasons for inflation frustrated me for his entire term. I told my husband in 2022 that the grocery store would be Biden‘s downfall.
VP Harris gave a great explanation in her first speech, then never did again.
🤯
How can you explain inflation to the same people who are buying Bibles from a man convicted of sexual assault? To farmers who voted for a man whose tariffs caused a 24% spike in farm foreclosures? Steel workers who lost jobs in 2019 and still voted for Trump?
Bothsidesing has benefitted the party formerly known as Republican for years. The right wing media doesn’t do it. Unfortunately, seems the left leaning media also practices it.
I thoroughly agree with this article which demonstrates that they have the same problem in the USA as we have here. The BBC coverage of Brexit was deceptive because of balance rather than true analysis. The 2008 crisis was not because of Brown's reckless spending. Things won't get better under Trump
But nobody no longer knows where to find reliable unbiased facts. If un-biased is even possible. Instead we get personalised facts, self selected on self selected platforms, personalised news feeds.
Lasy centurys commonly shared media experience no longer exists. Applies to news and shows equally.
You are too much of a partisan person. Denying the inflationary effects of the ARP, or downplaying them, is disingenuous. Biden does deserve some blame for inflation.
“Republican lies — and yes, the major ones have consistently come from the G.O.P. — have gotten ever bigger, but the insistence on bothsidesing when there aren’t two sides remains, with an increasing Republican tilt.”
Thank you for keeping the both-sides problem front and center! It’s more than a bad journalism paradigm; false information infects headline writers who use it for clickbait and it’s alive and well in the electorate where “I see both sides” is considered a virtue, even when parroting misinformation.
It’s why the only thing that makes sense is to print a bunch of “I did that” Trump stickers and put them on the beef and egg cases at the grocery store. Those prices ARE NOT coming down any time soon. That won’t be Trump’s fault necessarily (though he will fuck up the bird flu response)…
The point about the US inflation rate being in line with other developed nations is a good one. But the right wing media isn’t arguing in good faith to begin with 🤷♂️ this is like trying to astronomy somebody out of a belief in astrology
Since 2016 it seemed to me that the news was trump, trump, trump, trump, trump. That never ended. Who is the current president? Is he doing a damn thing? Did Harris really run? Is trump President right now? Even NPR sucks up to him. I think this is NOT fair, impartial journalism anymore.
The zombie (lies) new clothes. Retrict labor supply, restrict import supply, big tax cuts for hi income, cut govt expenditures will reduce inflation + spur growth. As maga campaign promised. It tracks if lies Trump won 2020, Dem lockdowns in ‘20 caused downturn, ARP caused inflation are now “facts”
“More fundamentally, election results shouldn’t change your economic analysis — especially after an election decided by low-information voters who believed Trump’s promise, which he instantly abandoned after the vote, that he would bring down grocery prices.”
Comments
Nothing has changed in the media and the earth will continue to be something between roundish and flattish.
Researchers estimate the cost of washing machines jumped by 12% as a direct result: $86 per unit. His tariffs cost US consumers @ $1.5 Billion a year. Prices on domestically made washers + dryers rose too. Of course.
or try to be CONVINCED THEY WERE WRONG
or NOT CAPABLE of COMPREHENSION
as women have been for centuries...
is this the decline of Abject Masculinity that worried
that maga cybertruck martyr?
They clearly don't teach logic in j-schools.
It’s the same dynamic that allowed and normalized Trump campaign signs: “Trump-Safety Kamala-Crime”
I didn’t see legacy media noting it was a felon/sexual predator versus a career prosecutor.
Still,should have? That was the whole enchilada. The asset inflation train producing trillionaires god kings is humming. The NYT's raison d'être achieved.
But,Working class voters are shifting to the far right across OECD-Germany,France,Italy,US- that is a political truth that we need to understand better.
People rage-watch cable news, where they’re told that others disrespect them.
Trump said he would make others fear and respect them, and be cruel to people whom they dislike.
They voted for that.
VP Harris gave a great explanation in her first speech, then never did again.
🤯
In these 4 yrs, Bidenn/Ds were playing like it was the olden times in media access. Not enough bragging to counter MAGA lies.
Add D tendencies to "lecture" instead of cheerlead +bothsiderism = lost avg American.
We must A B C🤛
💥Always
💥Be
💥Campaigning!
🤯
2020-2023 figs:
17.7% Inflation
https://smartasset.com/investing/inflation-calculator
19.8% Earnings
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/AWI.html
18.8% COLA increase for Social Security
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/colaseries.html
Not everyone suffers the same inflation though.
Lasy centurys commonly shared media experience no longer exists. Applies to news and shows equally.
“Elon Musk goes global with his playbook for political influence “
Not “Elon Musk goes global with his promotion of the far right”