prop·a·gan·da
noun
information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.
"he was charged with distributing enemy propaganda"
“Yellow journalism and yellow press are American terms for journalism and associated newspapers that present little or no legitimate, well-researched news while instead using eye-catching headlines for increased sales. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism.” ~ from Wikipedia
During Donald J. Trump’s rise to power it became popular in his cult to call anything he did not agree with “fake news”. This was both a tactic to squash particular stories and a strategy to undermine the entire journalistic enterprise.
The truth is more complex and darker. Remember that the MAGA and their master are the ultimate practitioners of projection. And those “main stream media” outlets they tore down have a proven right wing bias. Just not as pronounced as FOX news. The news outlets they howled about were actually helping Trump and the entire right wing, in 2016 and every day since.
I grew up in the era of Walter Cronkite. In those days, the fairness doctrine and a general concern for journalistic ethics and integrity insured a mostly unbiased account of current events. Body counts from the war in Vietnam were accurate. The incoming coffins were at the center of the nightly news. And had a powerful effect on public opinion. Mr. Cronkite and his peers did not put their thumbs on the scales.
We may argue now about the findings of the Warren Commission but if there was a cover up it was not at the hands of the media. The reporters reading the news believed it to be true. As did the companies they worked for.
When Watergate broke the media covered it as the largest scandal in modern history. They did not equivocate. And this translated, in congress, to the Republicans being willing to both impeach and convict.
To understand the extent of the free fall, all one must do is compare that coverage and that Republican response to the coverage and response to an even greater offense: 1-6.
The major news outlets covered the attack on the capitol in real time. And have since spent the last three years sowing doubt and engaging in blatant bias masquerading as “fair and balanced”.
Let’s go back a bit farther, to 2016. The noble enterprise of journalism, thought to be so important as to dub it the fourth estate, had already begun its free fall. The fairness doctrine was overturned in 1985, under Reagan, and every year since had seen a greater descent into disrepute.
The major media outlets knew perfectly well what Donald J. Trump was and is. They knew he was not fit for office then and is even more dangerous now.
And they don’t care. As Les Moonves, who was chairman of CBS at the time, famously said of the 2016 race and its coverage “It may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS”.
They don’t even try to hide it. The coverage of Biden proves it. This president has been one of the most consequential in two generations. He pulled us out of a deadly pandemic and not only saved the economy but brought it roaring back. His agenda is reinvigorating manufacturing and trade unions. His administration has been a huge success.
But, thanks to people like Mooves it has also been a big secret.
Look back at the clickbait headlines: BIDEN BLOWS it in AFGHANISTAN! BIDEN BUILD BACK BETTER SET to FAIL! BIDEN RATINGS DOWN! HOW TRUMP WILL WIN!
It is almost like they are putting out MAGA press releases and calling it news. And this has been going on for years.
There is no doubt that this blatant yellow journalism helped put Mr. Trump in the White House the first time. The coverage in this election by every major outlet from CBS and CNN to WAPO and the NYT is on track for a repeat performance.
In case there was any lingering doubt, the coverage of the Hur Report and the non-story of Biden’s handling of classified documents confirms what has long been obvious.
They took a political hit piece and amplified it. Without calling it out for what it is. The headlines tell the tale.
Especially when contrasted with soft pedaling Trump’s criminal behavior and complete silence on his obvious dementia.
Given all of this, it has become clear that the media as a whole has sold out completely and that it is no longer an honest broker of information.
But we as a society need an honest broker. This is the reason that the media has enjoyed the status and protection is has garnered. That is why the very constitution mentions a free press. We must have a neutral news source in order to navigate the difficult terrain that is our current reality.
So, what to do? We can’t unhinge the industry from its venal course. We can’t stop the machine. But we can relearn the art of thinking for ourselves. And rejecting nonsense. Rejecting propaganda. IF we can train ourselves to recognize it.
Here is my plan:
1. Revisit the critical thinking course from your undergraduate years. If you didn’t study critical thinking get an online course. Practice every day.
When you take in data, any data, question both the source and the content and only accept what makes sense.
2. Turn off the TV. It is easier to filter out bullshit in written media. When you read the news, ignore the clickbait headline.
Find the paragraph that contains just the facts. Who, what, where, when, and how. Leave out the why because you don’t need WAPO or the NYT to interpret for you. Look for exact transcripts of what was actually said, and by whom.
3. Use the TV to watch actual appearances by the principals in the ongoing stories. If the president gives a speech watch him, not the talking heads. What did he actually say? What was his demeanor? Were his words factual? There are places online that tally up lies, half truths, and true statements. Joe Biden has an excellent rating but you can check it for yourself.
Same with DJT. I can’t actually watch him, his voice makes me think of rape. So I read what he said instead. As to his demeanor, a short clip is enough. As to the ratio of lies to truth, about 80% of what comes out of his mouth are lies. 10% half truths, 10% truthful.
Actually watching and listening is the only way to truly understand the candidates. Using the filter of a journalist or news outlet’s perception is a good way to get fooled.
4. Follow and tune in to a few honest journalists. We all need a bit of help making sense of things. I follow Heather Cox Richardson, The Rachel Maddow Show, and will be watching Jon Stewart.
I also read Robert Reich and Thom Hartmann here on Substack. They dig deep and practice old school journalistic ethics.
I still keep my thinking cap on. Anyone can be fooled or make a mistake. But these sources do all they can to get it right.
5. Watch out for AI, deep fakes, and foreign troll factories. If you encounter any of these call it out. Don’t expect anyone to protect us from any of this.
This will be a difficult year no matter what. Finding ways to navigate the rough waters falls on each of us as citizens. I implore you all to dig deep and use logic. Take the time and do the work.
There will be hundreds of scurrilous hit pieces against Biden, most of them from “respectable” news outlets “just trying to air both sides”. Think about how they handled “her emails!!”.
If you see something that looks like news but reads like a hit piece trust your gut. Even if it is on NBC nightly news or is under the banner of the New York Times.
The fourth estate is now more of a fifth column. We must all be our own news gatherers now.