Why No One Trusts The News

[@JoeMcLeanTV]

I'm currently working in a job that is the result of the corporate consolidation of media. I work as a bureau reporter in the state capitol and my news stories go out to 5 news stations across the state. This video is spot on. Extremely common Wisecrack W.

[@WisecrackEDU]

Thanks! And good luck in your own work!

[@thornyback]

Thank you for your public service.

[@Itstoearly]

The internet didn't kill journalism. Journalism morphed into the same opinion-shouting medium as the internet and just could not compete with it.

[@Comicbroe405]

Oh damn that's actually true. Very rarely do you get actually well made opinions.

[@peterthegreat996]

When journalists became celebrities and it became possible to get super rich / that killed journalism. Other countries don’t allow journalists to write books and get wealthy like that.

[@wisdomleader85]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[@PrisonOrDeathPenalty4Congress]

By design . Our secretly paid for government controls most of our inputs. We love the bread and circus

[@daemoneko]

the 24 hour news cycle killed journalism a lot more than the internet did ushered in the era of clickbait journalism and news targeting people's anxieties more and more

[@whydoesthisexistpod]

I used to be a journalist. I never hated a phrase more than "how can we spin this" or "what's the angle". Best decision I ever made was to do something else.

[@benjaminjenkins2384]

Being a journalist isn't just providing facts, it's also framing and providing context and understanding for those facts.

[@K1ng1995]

I really wanted to be a journalist as well. But over time I just got depressed because people told me "Facts don't sell"

[@Yellow.1844]

​@@benjaminjenkins2384this is not what these sentences mean when you work... they mean how can we make this more entertaining to attract more attention so we make more money

[@benjaminjenkins2384]

@@Yellow.1844 yeah capitalism bad ik

[@dirtysaint5324]

@@benjaminjenkins2384And framing in a way that best serves X agenda.

[@cypressstick9396]

I remember when the news only came on a couple of hours a day and you somehow got significantly more news than a 24 hour news cycle.

[@travcollier]

CNN, in the early days, basically had a 24hr news cycle. The idea was that you could tune in pretty much any time and get the big stories of the day... It just repeated them every hour or so. That was a pretty solid idea actually. I never got the whole fixation on "breaking news", with the exception of some hyper local stuff and weather. I actively avoid the coverage of any big news stories for a day or two... Not like my knowing about it ASAP is practically useful, and I'd rather just skip all the speculation and guessing.

[@its_nukatron]

@@travcollier My wife is from Singapore and they have a news dedicated channel that basically does old-school CNN stuff and I enjoyed watching it! It informs viewers of local news and events, world news, and occasional deep-dives into various subjects like new tech, education policies, or something. After some time in the day, they repeat certain sections in case people missed it in the morning, after work, or whenever.

[@waywardvoid]

​@@travcollierbecause "BREAKING NEWS" is more eye catching

[@travcollier]

@@waywardvoid I know that most people are drawn to "breaking news" and why companies cater to that. I don't really understand why most people find it so attractive/interesting. I'm a weirdo and other humans often seem pretty alien to me.

[@waywardvoid]

@@travcollier no no... Me too, I consider myself alien to others. But I find it interesting to watch the people and the dumb fixations we have, like not everyone is into breaking news but habitually listen and watch cause it's what they have been conditioned to do.

[@tylerhackner9731]

Because the news media is supposed to hold politicians accountable yet instead they crave access to those same politicians

[@ComradeCatpurrnicus]

Ya, they're really easy on representatives, but don't forget one of the biggest problems, the media doesn't call out that those same politicans they kiss up to and treat with kid gloves. They're bought off by Big Monied interests that the media also refuses to acknowledge as one of the main problems in our country. Corporate capture of our representatives and media.

[@emperorsean1]

They don't hold them accountable as their in bed with them. As most news media stations are owned by government and funded by government.

[@jamesabestos2800]

Politics has spoiled, time to buy a new cartoon, from the whom? Zè globalist

[@ASSARAPTUS]

That was never the case. That was a lie they repeated to justify their existence. It's always been a game of being stenographers of government propaganda.

[@Lambda_Ovine]

And funny how it started to happening after massive deregulations took place and private corporations took over. Everything got worse; the quality of the news, the media getting in bed with corporate America AND political parties... Jesus

[@sw0rdf1sh2326]

I feel like I tune out because the “if it bleeds it leads” and power-stenographic nature of news leaves me unable to really get what I should do with the info presented. It’s almost like it’s designed for us to feel powerless and apathetic

[@HylianFox3]

Which leads to the modern phenomena of "doom scrolling". It seems like everything in the media is geared to make us want to kill ourselves. Hell, even this very video contributes to that feeling, intentional or not. This sort of "everything is awful, it's only getting worse, and there's nothing you can do about it" is extremely pervasive...

[@Fanatical_Empathy]

That's exactly what it's designed to do that's why it's the same dredge every single day not one bright spot not 1 piece of hope even though there is so much surrounding all of us everywhere we go every single day. I get my news from folks like Tyler Cohen and others who really care about the content that they are presenting to their audience and try to presented in a way that is undisputable. Also being able to make up my own mind as a big part of news and so much news is just telling you what to feel it cannot just feels like a parent you don't really like telling you what you should do.

[@Chuck_EL]

​@@Fanatical_Empathy The "democracy" narratives in the mainstream media is the most cringe inducing type of narrative I've seen I'm a history and political buff, Here's what I know if you only have a "Democrat" and "Republican" to choose from that's not democracy especially when both sides are funded by the same conglomerates Its a romanticized coup

[@jhinthevirtuoso4886]

Its a tool for demoralisation of course it leaves you feeling like that

[@LittlePhizDorrit]

The history of journalism and its role and function in the U.S. is important. I hate what it has become, and hope it can be saved.

[@BiigiieCheeese]

Big name journalism like CNN is dead. You’re best chance of getting unbiased coverage is ironically spyware known as TikTok

[@ImperativeGames]

Only when people understand what they lost and how their life changed.

[@vincentbatten4686]

Wow, no advertisement and a very accurate and scathing condemnation of the death of journalism and not in a clickbait piece scapegoating the internet. Thank you for putting this out for people to see.

[@OgYokYok]

The Onion is now truly America’s most trusted news source.

[@wijuc242]

The onion is simply ahead of the curve

[@CortexNewsService]

Which I am sure horrifies the staff of the Onion

[@Sidharthavicious]

The fact that The Onion reprints the same article about mass shootings every time one occurs, only with changed names, is both depressing and funny.

[@phoenix5054]

Not really. For some, it's the Babylon Bee now.

[@HombreDufff]

What onion?

[@SpoopySquid]

I work for a daily newspaper owned by a massive media conglomerate. The CEO just announced another round of mass layoffs. This is ehat happens when you view news not as a public service but as just another commodity to pad an accounting spreadsheet

[@gabrielmaroto18]

They use capitalism to Undermine journalism

[@Sparticulous]

They are probably replacing people with chatgpt. Quantity over quality and nothing can do that faster than AI

[@qwertyuiopaaaaaaa7]

I work for a nonprofit that releases reports and news articles tracking climate issues. When ConocoPhillips’ major new oil project was given the green light by the Biden Administration this past March, I wrote an article criticizing the decision. After getting publication approval from every expert in my org, the piece was mysteriously killed. No news outlet wanted to touch it. Our Comms team decided it was “too hot” an issue with too much risk associated with it. I spent nights in the office doing thorough research and in the end the public will never learn any of that. Project Willow will be built, people will die, the climate will boil, but at least the corporate overlords that own the media will be a little bit richer…

[@unodragon2294]

maybe should try to make youtube videos it is better that atleast a few know than none?

[@jollyjumper1873]

I think that people that are concerned about the climate and have already a following (tiktok, ig, yt) can be a valid channel for your non-profit investigations. Make sure that it is at least published in any way. Please keep going. If it is that hot for your company to publish then you can always leave breadcrumbs and leads for stitching the story together. Stay under the radar like that if you must

[@imacmill]

You're not gonna like what I'm about to say, but it needs to be said: your reporting on the oil industry and its destruction of the climate is an utter waste of time. Mankind is absolutely going to burn every last drop of oil it can get its hands on. There's no stopping it. And there is no viable replacement for oil that will allow for 'business as usual' under the world's addiction to capitalism. Once the oil's gone (likely within 50 short years), we are effed.

[@unodragon2294]

@@imacmill I heard that oil is plant based and that the term fossil fuel comes from someone working for the Rockefeller

[@KnightOfNewColu]

I’d say leak it anyways man. Fuck it. I’ll watch!

[@z4ngetsub4nk4i]

The issue is deregulation everytime an industry or market gets deregulated because it'll make it "better" it actually gets worse also lobbying that should be flat out illegal

[@WisecrackEDU]

we love Cincinnati, even if we're slightly confused about Cincinnati style chili.

[@hermaeusmora2945]

Yeah, because government regulation makes everything better...it's why we can't have industry here because the government overregulates so our businesses get shipped to 3rd world shit holes that don't have those regulations so corporations can sell the products and everyone is out of a job.

[@Sephiroth144]

💯

[@regionalflyer]

​@@WisecrackEDU cinnamon doesn't belong in chili!!!

[@xtieburn]

Im probably biased because I believe the failings of the press are the single greatest issue facing our modern society, but I think this is probably one of the best and most important Wisecrack videos Ive ever seen.

[@WisecrackEDU]

Hey - thank you! Now all we gotta do is figure out how to fix the entire global corporate media system.

[@LuisSierra42]

@@WisecrackEDU nah, I'd rather rely on KZbinrs for my news

[@devan_danger]

How bout big money in politics? That seems like a much worse problem.

[@Hel1mutt]

@@devan_danger yeah i remember most big news outlets being pretty "meh" about the Citizens United case when they and everyone else should have been VERY angry

[@duewhit310]

All the poison in our food. How about that?

[@IAmNumber4000]

Learning about US presidential history is like 60% learning why Nixon and Reagan ruined the US

[@CuriousGeorgio59]

You’re right democrats definitely aren’t corporate captured

[@arthas640]

You could say the same about quiet a few presidents. FDR created the military industrial complex, JFK and LBJ made the US far more intervenrionalist ans imperialistic. FDR and Truman allowed the USSR to take over half of Europe and Asia claiming the countries they occupied were "electing" communists into power who just happened wanted to turn their country into a Moscow puppet state.

[@tylertigno5443]

Bill sure didn’t help

[@computersciencestudentriverbat]

Wisecrack continues to prove to me that straightforward and sincere broadcasting, some basic production values, with a sprinkle of academic rigor, you can raise your viewerships consciousness and level of understanding. Been watching Wisecrack for a while and I feel like I can trust them to break down anything from my favorite anime or video game, to real world social issues. Wisecrack is also smart enough to not just chase whatever is trending online, all the videos seem evergreen in a sense. All these traits I'd say would be good journalism, not saying Wisecrack is Journalism, just sayin' they take the good principles of good journalism. It's kinda funny to say but I'd say Wisecrack is good news source, Perhaps not late-breaking news but still great philosophically focused analysis on the happenings of the day.

[@WisecrackEDU]

Thanks a ton. This comment means a lot as what you're describing is very close to what we're striving for, so hopefully we can keep it up. Appreciate your support.

[@MikeGraceJediDad]

Yes. They are one of the few sources I trust. Beau of the Fifth Column as well.

[@isimikehinde5584]

​@@MikeGraceJediDadyea, he is good too

[@claytonhelme1735]

@@MikeGraceJediDad Yes, those two are my go to trusted sources.

[@zed739]

Strongly recommend the boys in this thread Google Justin King and check some public records

[@dave_riots]

Journalism once used to hold businesses accountable, now it's just turned into a business with the same goals as any business - profit above all else.

[@DigitalMadrigal]

I'm trusting KZbinrs more and more for everything, including the news. Corporations always make Cheez Doodles of different kinds. I like real food. Give me KZbinrs like yourselves any day.

[@WisecrackEDU]

We may not always be right, but we're always honest.

[@TreesPlease42]

trust individuals that demonstrate consistent and reliable quality while being upfront about their biases

[@jarrahe]

In an abstract sense, independent KZbinrs like this are the next generation of "local journalism"

[@seanbirtwistle649]

@@jarrahe its interesting to see the demise of journalism at a time when its valued so highly with the best technology its ever had at its disposal. if you think of journalism as professionalizing public opinion it can be seen as a way to disseminate ideas without the fear of losing culture and tradition. society needs ideas and discussion to grow, but without a framework it starts looking like cancer. the internet has created a global village where everyone is screaming at each other for no real reason or understanding. it'll be interesting to see whether a medium like the internet, which needs a policy of 'zero accountability' to function, can provide an alternative, or improvement, to traditional press which is held accountable

[@brandonburns5365]

​@@seanbirtwistle649'traditional press which is held accountable ' 😂😂😂 Good one buddy😅

[@CortexNewsService]

There is a slow burning push for local owned journalism. I'm part of a group of locally owned online news outlets. And there are a lot more than you think. We just keep slipping under the radar.

[@mekkio77]

I often wonder how different our country would be if Reagan had a better career in Hollywood. If he had become an A list actor and had stayed there. The difference to where we are now and where we could have been could be boiled down to him simply landing the right role.

[@skyisreallyhigh3333]

Not much different. The neoliberals would have just found someone else to fill his role. He was at the end of the day a puppet for corporate overlords

[@MichelleHell]

Same with Hitler and art school

[@azazelazel]

Reagan was a talking head. There would've been another one; it's not a coincidence that Thatcher was elected the year prior.

[@roblesize]

Down with greed. Down with corruption. Hold everyone accountable

[@hegyak]

Laws only apply to those without Money/Power.

[@roblesize]

@@hegyak True, if the punishment for a crime is a fine. Then, the law is for the lower class

[@WardofSquid]

This is one of the most important topics of this Digital Era. If the distrust of MSM & institutions continues, sadly people may fall prey to conspiracies or facts curated by echo chambers or conformation bias. The media MUST do better and take ACCOUNTABILITY for their greedy involvement in these prevailing issues today. Thanks as always Wisecrack

[@dexterwestin3747]

What do mean "sadly people may fall prey to conspiracies or facts curated by echo chambers or conformation bias"? They already have and have been for some time.

[@eternalskeptic]

Fox "News" always brags about being the top in ratings, do you realize that makes Fox "News" the MSM? 🤔

[@eternalskeptic]

@@dexterwestin3747 They're proud Fox viewers, though? 🤣😂

[@dexterwestin3747]

@@eternalskeptic They may be the most obvious example but not limited to just them.

[@eternalskeptic]

@@dexterwestin3747 The overwhelming majority of media bullshit originates at Fox "News", there is no denying that.

[@colonelweird]

This is a really insightful analysis of the situation, but I have one issue with it: the video doesn't examine these changes in the context of a previous media ecosystem that was also extremely effective at protecting the interests of the ruling class. Chomsky's ideas about media control were mostly developed in the era of Walter Cronkhite, after all. So this video very nearly implies that today we've fallen from an ideal situation that existed in the past. But things have always been terrible. They're just different, and slightly worse, now.

[@justgary4342]

Nothing's perfect, but it can be better.

[@SleepyMatt-zzz]

I was thinking this too. People act like news has changed, however that is only because news outlets held a monopoly of mass communication. Despite this, that doesn't mean that everyone should just run to the first KZbin Grifter they see.

[@AINEET]

Hard to trust them when they've been caught lying red handed. Repeatedly.

[@VeritableSmorgasbord]

What would you say are the most egregious examples? (Do you have any from liberal media? Con media's too easy.)

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

Yeah i hate this argument becuz online media is 10000x worse at this. Ppl are like ‘we can’t trust main stream media, they’re crooked liers. But this blog post? This random article with no citations, no experts, no research, no corroboration, no fucking professional academics or learned ppl, that I will trust’. Seriously, big media had big controversial cases, but what about all the rest of the organisation, the hundreds of ppl who work there, the insane amount of research and work into every newsprint. Seriously wtf why do we think a few big dramatic expose’s mean all of it is worthless

[@Destiny87]

@@VeritableSmorgasbord Pretty much everything regarding Trump and the Bidens. Pushing the Russian collusion lie for so many years, and still doing so despite it being debunked. Then there's burying the Hunter Biden laptop story, and trying to spin Biden's many failures.

[@blackdragon6]

​@@VeritableSmorgasbordthe biggest was probably how liberal media treated Bernie.

[@TheMlerich30]

​@VeritableSmorgasbord the lying to defend Hunter Biden pre-election comes to mind.

[@GenerationX1984]

The mainstream news rarely talks about issues that I care about like politicians making too much money, CEOs making too much money at the expense of workers, union busting, or problem with corporate lobbying and bribery by billionaires. If they do talk about these problems they never offer up any real solutions. So I don't watch the mainstream news very often anymore.

[@jasonnugent963]

Journalists arent supposed to “offer solutions”. Their job is to document and report whats happening.

[@BektostheBlackBlade]

And this is why I trust Highschool/collage newspapers more than the major media outlets. Granted nobody takes the Highschool/college journalist seriously since they only focus on their school's events. But if those journalists stepped out and covered 1 or 2 stories in their local areas it becomes more like what journalism is supposed to be/used to be.

[@kelvinkj7074]

the moment Opinions take over facts and News cater to readers' tastes and preferences, then News become Opinions, which erodes trust. And once Trust is lost, it is tough to get it back.

[@pennywaldrip3774]

I really miss the Fairness Doctrine. And world news...

[@vertigoz]

The fairness doctrine, like a a Jew and a Nazi side by side? A flat earther and a regular scientist? This is not fairness

[@SignificantNumberOfBeavers]

In my view Fairness Doctrine created a false sense that all sides of an issue were equally valid. An extreme example might be showing both the side of the white supremacists and the side of everyone else. It may be valid to present all sides of an issue in many instances, but journalists absolutely should not legitimize certain extreme and dangerous viewpoints by paying them any heed.

[@A.Radwick]

There is something very ironic about the fact that I had to watch or skip three different ads while watching this video. Very unbiased and honest take. Keep up the good work, guys.

[@WisecrackEDU]

Thanks! We strive for honesty if nothing else.

[@daraghokane4236]

Bias doesn't mean not correct. you can have the most accurate and factual answer possible and it will be bias against what somebody believes

[@JasonX909]

I got a 5 second Coke/LoL collaboration ad right in the middle. If that's not the pinnacle of modern advertising I don't know what is.

[@A.Radwick]

@@WisecrackEDU so many articles are hidden behind a fucking paywall nowadays. I'll gladly skip the KZbin ads for you guys any time.

[@devon9075]

Dont worry about the ads. Worry that if you ever stop watching them, you wont know which ideas are starting in your friends and coworkers minds and which they are having because an ad planted them.

[@TheGreenestG]

Thanks to everyone involved in making this piece!!

[@WisecrackEDU]

Thank you for watching!!

[@AlisonCrockett]

This was a great synopsis of the problem. I’ve been so frustrated by news because I can’t always tell what’s true and what’s opinion which means I do much more work to get less usable information.

[@EclipseEH]

Wisecrack!!! You guys are a absolutely KILLING it lately with your videos tackling the current state of society. Your wokeness video, along with ones like these are absolutely spot on

[@WisecrackEDU]

Thank you so so so much. Your support means a lot.

[@dmkatelyn]

I'm one of those journalists who left politics for entertainment. The subscription model had a lot of flaws, but after working 60-80 hour weeks with no overtime as the only full time reporter in my entire state for a publication? You get what you pay for.

[@23TDJ]

The answer is the same to every question of why something in our society sucks or doesn’t function well: Privatization of something that should be public, corporations, consolidation, and lack of regulations while simultaneously keeping enough regulations to limit competition.

[@MikeGraceJediDad]

This ⬆️

[@TheGrifhinx]

That hardly solves anything. If it's public, it's being feasted on by politicians. If it's private, then it's private entities.

[@PlywoodFraternity]

@@TheGrifhinxonce again, we gave ourselves an untrustworthy government and now we can’t have the nice things that other 1st world nations have provided by their governments because we can’t trust ours

[@JudasCrusader]

The press used to spin the message before it reached normals. Now the media can,t do it fast enough and it trip them up.

[@Rejistania]

I think we should ban advertising. That was the initial sin of journalism!

[@Raziel312]

Well, the only way journalism could pay for itself under that scenario would be to depend on government subsidies. YOU KNOW the Right would have a field day with that! And no, sales at the newsstand has NEVER covered the bills.

[@TheGrifhinx]

​@@Raziel312we STILL need to ditch advertising

[@jacobnelson6042]

Yea when you see Politico articles that are openly funded by Lockheed Martin there’s definitely a problem

[@dexterwestin3747]

@@Raziel312 Such as the BBC for example? Also, how would it work? Would it have to be a non-profit like PBS or NPR to receive funding or would for-profits like NBC, CBS, Fox, etc have access to these funds on the stipulation that they don't run ads during a news a program?

[@TooLiveChris]

That will not solve the problem, journalism would just become an expensive artform that only a certain socio-economic class can afford. It would become news for the rich by the rich, which is what we already have, just more blatant about it.

[@OLD.GREASE]

I hope y'all at Wisecrack know just how important this kind of work is.

[@nots000ful]

Journalism in the old times: Ok folks, let’s discover and investigate! Journalism today: It’s just a advertisement company with a different name and scammy zodiac signs quizzes

[@perfectallycromulent]

Journalism in the old times: ok folks, if it's not important to white men, it's not important at all.

[@Chuck_EL]

The surveillance one is crazy when you know 6 journalists who tried to go against the grain were illegal wiretapped and had illegal surveillance all over their homes I do know the people caught were arrested including cops ..yes cops

[@hegyak]

The movie Network (1976) Explains EXACTLY what happened. If you want to know now, Profits and Rating. That's all that matters to News. As the Director said on the 40th anniversary commentary "Everything I have shown in this movie, has come true. Except the ending." Well, the ending did come true as well.

[@marcelsilva7693]

This was incredibly depressing (the state of our media landscape), but an incredibly important subject. Thank you Wisecrack.

[@Lastbornschwab7]

Ive witnessed the fall of local journalism in my own community. Our local paper was bought by a large out of state firm years ago. The paper would get smaller year by year, then lose daily printing, outsource printing to another city that then delivered the paper to our town, and finally the closing of the paper's building all together. From what i understand their current editor works in another state and any local articles produced are based on the gig model, so no full time reporters. The local news station isnt much better. Its insane that we as a society let it get to this point. I learn more about my community from local facebook groups than the actual local news and paper lmao.

[@WisecrackEDU]

That sucks.

[@JP-ve7or]

I'd ask if you're from my town, but I'm sure we're not alone in this 😕

[@Lastbornschwab7]

@@JP-ve7or its happening everywhere. That's the insane part.

[@gerardoangel6]

As a journalist, this video is very biased to the “death” of the so call serious journalist, as if there’s no other type of media or genre

[@1234redwing]

Everyone except the older generation, whenever I tell my parents or grandparents or their friends that I don't trust the news at all, they act like I'm a nut job conspiracy theorist

[@SuperLocrian]

The end of print media was certainly brought on by the widespread use of the internet. As someone who grew up in a family who all worked at the local major newspaper - when free ads (used car ads especially) became available on Craig's List, those ads disappered from the Classified section. Large Auto Dealerships began to advertise elsewhere soon after. The income collected from subscriptions barely covered the cost of the newpaper ink. As more and more ways for people to freely advertise not only items for sale, but things like garage sales, wedding announcements and more - the advertising money needed to operate began to shrink. And in the end, large (auto dealerships) companies began having to spend their adverting dollars online and places other than the papers - if they wanted to reach their customers. Of interest, when I was working at a the Raleigh Observer, their were like three major media companies buying up all the papers around the country as their values fell - including the Observer. - At least that's the story I lived through with my family as the paper slowly died and everyone took early retirement - My Dad who was a head salesmen in advertising and Mom was 2nd in charge of Classifieds, so that was their perspective.

[@johnhoo6707]

What snuffed out the last remaining morsel of trust I had in the media was me watching CNN on mute at lunch one day. I noticed when they’re muted, it looks like 4 random heads just yapping about…something. It felt odd, like, who are these people and why should I even believe they’re credible? Then I started paying more attention whenever I get to see the news on mute again. Doesn’t matter what network it is. End of the day, I did not find reason to believe anybody talking on TV news is credible.

[@manniking233]

Yup. You might as well subscribe to a corporate PR firm at this point. If the thought of that made you want to puke, then, that's how you should feel taking the mainstream media seriously. And never forget whose fault this is? REAGAN!!!!!! 😡🤦🏿‍♂️🤦🏿‍♂️🤦🏿‍♂️🤦🏿‍♂️ I hate MSNBC and FOX. They're corporate shills, waving their wealth in our faces while doing nothing for the Republic except spew corporate lies about our living reality. It's so sad...

[@lunchguy659]

I think the "60 Minutes" show/format success started a wave of 'Pop' news shows that were more emotional and sensational in scope than the Cronkite/ Reasoner/ Reynolds/ Huntley-Brinkley era of TV journalism. Network News was a 'loss leader' of a major network, basically providing an evening synopsis of local/state/national news of major import with as neutral of a presentation as possible with no opinion added most of the time. Anyhow news anchors today are all about sensationalism, celebrity and writing Tell Alls, spreading their brand of propaganda to garner/keep/ gain viewership. We trusted the news from the 1940's-1970's era anchors a lot more than we do now.

[@dadbodenvy4247]

Honestly we probably trusted news anchors too much in the 40s - 70s

[@Tunda2]

The internet didn’t kill journalism. Lying at every opportunity killed journalism.

[@johnnygoodman2003]

Where in this video did you see that the internet killed journalism?

[@Jebbtube]

As with most things, this is all Regan's fault.

[@skyisreallyhigh3333]

No, it's all capitalism's fault

[@sopranophantomista]

The turning point in contemporary American history really does feel like it all hinges on either Reagan or Nixon, huh?

[@Chuck_EL]

​@@sopranophantomista Did you watch this video ? Do you know when he was president the government not only funded Al Qaeda and Bin laden they gave them weapons aka Iran Contra scandal, and he put plants all over the news media No one said it was all him.. but alot of the issues are due to him ....Id put Bill Clinton on that list too to be honest

[@Vaeldarg]

@@sopranophantomista Or Bush. ("Sr. or Jr.?" answer: "Yes.")

[@georgeabitbol-kk3vv]

Great to see you again Helen. I had a teacher in uni who said that the separation of powers between legislature/executive/judiciary was outdated. Political parties make the executive and their majority in legislative bodies inseparable. However, the third power is now the media instead. If this is true, then there needs to be constitutional protection of the independence of the press eg. through subsidies that cannot be changed by the government, sanctions for media players who report "news" that are refuted by scientific consensus, regulation of private media companies, etc.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Helen! Great to see you back in actio ! Love your starring videos!😊😊😊❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@WisecrackEDU]

In Helen we trust.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

@@WisecrackEDU That we do!

[@kytoaltoky]

Deregulators forget or ignore the fact that public corporations are effectively government agencies that exist just out of reach of official Constitutional strictures

[@kloss213]

We are living through the death throes of a dying state. Was greed that laid us low.

[@brisman1963]

Sadly, ditto for Australia.

[@aaronhoy3410]

I honestly don't get why all the focus is on how "people don't trust the news" anymore. I mean I get why major media outlets would focus on that, but even in other spaces that seems to be the focus. Because shouldn't the actual issue be "is the news trustworthy"? Because in that regard I don't actually think the general media landscape is all that much different than it has ever been... which is to say it depends, but not really.

[@teamhammerbros8466]

This is easy i read about this everyday. The fairness doctrine. Corporate consoladation. Ad revenue changing due to the internet. Income changing in general, declining. Plus in a period of massive inequality the rich just buy coverage for themselves. Elon is in the news everyday, for no reason. He picks his news and there is a news article about it. All of this influences story choices and journalistic integrity. Along with the major urge to just be first and get the story out there. Speed almost always kills accuracy.

[@anotherdeadweirdo382]

My grandfather delayed his retirement in order to continue the work he was doing at NABET (which is part of the CWA now I think?) but when we were helping him move house back in the 00s and asking him what mementos etc from that time he wanted to keep he told us “throw all that old shit away”. We didn’t get a chance to discuss it in depth before he died but I got the impression that he felt the union should have pushed back more while the deregulation was happening as it was obvious to him where it was all heading in the end. That a great deal of the work he had done there over the decades had ultimately been for nothing if they were just going to roll over and let the 80s and 90s go the way they did. In a sense it’s a bit of a blessing he didn’t live to see how bad it got. What happened to the Washington Post alone would have made him furious enough ffs.

[@Raziel312]

The fairness doctorine isn't the wonderful thing that this video makes it out to be. It required journalists to present both sides of any issue. Well, that sounds great, except it is this approach that resulted in us wasting so much time debating if climate change is real. Even if 9 out of 10 scientists said climate change is real, in the interest of "fairness", they had to give equal time to that 10th scientist. Thus leading the public to think the science is less settled than it actually is. Imagine a TV debate between two dentists. One saying you should brush your teeth with toothpaste, the other saying you should brush you teeth with cola. Because while 4 out of 5 dentists say you should brush your teeth with toothpaste, we have to give equal time to the 5th dentist lest we be accused of "bias". That's the Fairness Doctrine for you.

[@warpdrivefueledbyinsomnia8165]

Fixing American journalism would take a long-term sustained effort with a lot attention and focus. And, it would pay off in dividends, making us a stronger nation overall. So, we're not going to do it. People are sure going to get rich from our current media landscape, though. Good for them.

[@sebbubusse4111]

Quality news exists. But people, in their vast majoriy, are lazy. We wish everyone would watch PBS & read TheConversation. They'll watch FalseNews & read Buzzfeed. Wich in my opinion is the reason most medias are lacking quality content. I'm french and we have the same issue, without any Nixon. And if you ask anyone in any given country, they'll have the same kind of story you have for journalism : wealthy people & conglomerate taking over and using their power to help their own agendas. PS : i posted this comment 3 times and it bugged 3 times . Dafuck YT ?

[@Noms_Chompsky]

PBS Newshour. Right now is why we've been supporting it like we do.

[@userMB1]

It all boils down to people. If people don't want to consume and pay for investigative journalism, news media adapts. we need educated, critical citizens.

[@manniking233]

Egg and chicken problem. How do you get citizens who are informed without being raised on public interest and investigative journalism?

[@Korgull6669]

Eh, generally it’s production that breeds consumption. Like, these changes to the news didn’t happen because consumer demand shifted, these changes started on the production side of things, and consumers just continued to consume what they were given.

[@userMB1]

@@Korgull6669 i disagree. It is a well known fact that people are more interested in sensational news. Also the attention span of people is not so long. Deep dive into subjects tend to be dense and cognitive intensive. Not what most people are willing to invest in unfortunately.

[@victorcates9330]

I'd note that some academics justified the fall of the news as "democratisation". It's a lens within which it's not an innately bad thing when people who were utterly resistant found themselves knowledgeable about the Kardashians. So beyond the sheer failure of the press, you have this other strand that says there's nothing wrong.

[@X_TheHuntsman_X]

All media is biased. Everyone needs to face that now. Media literacy is what helps us understand that. Flowing from that, you can understand ideology, and from that, you can begin to understand what your media is saying to you ideologically and if you are actually comfortable with that. This is all part of that "critical thinking" thing that we are always going on about.

[@SunflowerFlowerEmpire]

Awesome as always. I feel like people are so helpless and unable to get much done let alone help anything in the world. Too fixed on trusting anything or nothing, to the point of driving one's self crazy over something we are all too powerless to do anything about because we have all become armchair critics and no longer actively participating in our immediate communities. So news is a form of entertainment we love bad news it makes us feel something. Feeling something makes us feel good about ourselves like it's doing good. But reality is we are mass consumers and zombies. No judgemental.

[@R2debo_]

We SO need a broken T-shirt now!🎉

[@direbearcoat7551]

This was an excellent explanation of how it all went downhill from the first government policy change....

[@bkstarkey]

I think we also have to do a better job of educating our youth. Far too many people who get “news” from one “source” that tells them what they want to hear.

[@sopranophantomista]

But then the question becomes, is it because that's what they've been brought up to trust, and be willing to hear other points of view, or they know those other views are out there, and are willfully ignorant to not seek them out because of "staying with their crowd"?

[@bkstarkey]

@@sopranophantomista good chunk? Willfully ignorant. And they usually view “ignorant” as a verb.

[@Eddy-ov4tx]

When everything is treated as a conspiracy theory, nothing can be trusted.

[@dalthorn]

As always one of histories greatest monsters, Ronald Reagan, appears to ruin things for generations to come.

[@sastryvnk4402]

You're joking, right? Ronald Reagan may not have been perfect but he was one of the greatest presidents ever. He was a hero.

[@mmarksz86]

@@sastryvnk4402 Lol you can always tell when someone puts propaganda and cult of personality above facts and logic: they usually love Reagan. He may not have been the worst, but you can trace most of the modern issues facing America back to Reagan. To be fair, some of them started under Nixon and were only made worse by Reagan.

[@dexterwestin3747]

@@mmarksz86 I am not going to defend Reagan in the slightest but when you speak of cult of personality, Obama supporters have and still exhibit this to an unhealthy degree.

[@Davenel621]

@@sastryvnk4402​​⁠​⁠many of the modern problems with American society can be traced back to good ole Ronald. If you don’t know about how deeply he damaged this country you either need to read more about our history, or you just love licking wealthy corporations boots.

[@MicheleGardini]

Pointing to the man is easy but is misleading. He was a puppet more than a master. And I don't mean he was innocent, indeed he was the perfect agent for the mission, but you have to follow the money if you want to find real responsabilities.

[@lNoWayAroundItl]

It lost trust when it became sensationalized. But networks have their board of directors like every other business, and want that advertising money and national rankings.

[@wefinishthisnow3883]

It's not even the bias that's the problem, it's the stories that AREN'T told. The story selection is my biggest concern.

[@t.j.giroux5936]

That part about the news becoming fluff and these current reporters only asking what is allowed of them is so telling and true. The recent Desantis Jake Taper interview is a prime example of this. Real reporters don’t get a chance to ask the real questions because they won’t be spoken to anymore. So sad that media has fused into this pathetic entity that it currently is.

[@elliott614]

There used to be way less diversity of opinion and options for media consumption. And the speed + volume of delivery has blown up similarly. When you have your own media bubble personalized to the degree it can be today, and observe how theres so much more out there that doesnt meet the standards of your bubble, it makes media look bad in general. And we didnt used to get told as many stories about institutional failures, especially ones that arent important outside of "us vs. them" hyperpolarization. But also important and meaningful failures/corruption of our institutions are much more widespread due to the diversity increase and the ability for news to be shared to the whole world at any time of day and consumed on-demand. It doesnt have to fit inside the 35 minute local tv news show along with everything else going on in the world

[@jacobs483]

Businesses/corporations don’t like competition, or a lack of control, or anything that threatens their ability to make a profit. Competition from other businesses, A government that can regulate them effectively, a workforce that can unionize for better compensation, or a safety net that separates human’s basic needs from profits.

[@zerocool5395]

That's why the corporate press is always smearing alternative media, anyone on KZbin and journalists on Substack.

[@zerocool5395]

Fun Fact: Two different judges ruled that Tucker Carlson and Rachel Maddow's shows are not news but entertainment. That's all you need to know about America's most watched "News shows"

[@Chuck_EL]

Also they both told people that voting for Jill Stein (green party candidate) and Bernie Sanders (independent) would "Cost" Hilary or Trump votes Where is the "democracy" in that ?

[@28blooddog]

Also, thank you all for giving me more ammunition to defend the journalistic plight, by explaining; journalism has actually been stripped of power/access over all these decades. Journalism is key to democracy.

[@MrChillerNo1]

Great analysis. More of this.

[@flippinkays6945]

As a relatively new local news journalist, this has answered so many questions that I've found myself asking. The need to produce infinite content for a Insatiable corporate overlord had induced what I call "shit eating behavior" in newsrooms in all markets. Leaves me deeply dissatisfied and removes all pride in my own work.

[@MrShaclakclak]

Great video! Love seeing you Helen. We love "blaming" such an American drive. "We must find those responsible!!" I fell we are to blame. As a collective. We keep allowing these rich guys to control and manipulate laws amd regulations which further increase their invented play money.

[@Barzbub]

The MEDIA agreed to NOT show FDA as a cripple confined to a wheelchair! There is only one movie of him actually being pushed in his wheelchair! So, it's been going on longer than you think!

[@celiacresswell6909]

I like this with the typo!

[@Barzbub]

@@celiacresswell6909 I hate AUTOCORRECT so much

[@Anerisian]

This was very good, crew. You managed to cover a good chunk of Manufacturint Consent, and you add more recent trends. Arguably, you could easily do a Part II, astroturfing, flak, and in Taibbi’s “Hate Inc”, you find yet more on how talk news became paranoid “culture war” storytelling serving the Southerrn Strategy, and then the liberal mirror version that took off during the Trump years.

[@horridohobbies]

You are spot on. I must share this video everywhere.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

We SO need a broken T-shirt now!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@TheLucasdms]

Independent jornalism in KZbin is very much alive and some of them looks a lot like the old movie trope journalist diging for the truth. It os giving people what they actually want from serious journalism instead of clickbaity entertainment.

[@Jimi_Lee]

The question should be "Why do some people still trust MSM at all?"

[@Tasarran]

Or Fox...

[@Jimi_Lee]

@@Tasarran Fox is as mainstream as CNN.

[@y0uCantHandle]

@@Tasarranfox is the biggest MSM.

[@tillerzeit]

Im seeing this more and more every day with my dad. If hes not watching a sports game hes watching msnbc or cnn. Talking heads just ruin it for me and tbh im getting my news more and more from stuff like Reuters or AP since 9/10 articles from them. The earths getting hotter, folks not making ends meet but were not worried about that when every news network is gonna show the next school shooting or celebrity butthole pics.

[@urgonnaluvthis]

Nice to see Helen finally gave up playing the "I gonna shake my shoulders and be a cutie " roll. Now she's trying to get taken seriously like the big boys. She's getting better. She used to be unwatchable.

[@BenjaminWalburn]

That's so cringy dude. "I can't watch people (women) with body language, they're just not serious enough. Not like the big boys who perform their videos while only moving their eyes and mouth" 😂

[@EverettBurger]

I know that I should subscribe to my local newspaper. But, I just don't care about the high school football team or a reminder that every Saturday is when the farmers' market is held. There is no discussion about school budget, the spate of local stores closing down, or what kind of jobs local graduates are finding.

[@franklyqueso]

Can you just rename the channel "Reagan Administration Post Mortem"

[@WisecrackEDU]

"What's up guys, Michael here at the graveside of Reagan to talk about the history of American healthcare . . . "

[@rikusauske]

Roger ailes, nixon, and reagan working together to destroy journalism is just par for the course at this point

[@QBG]

Capitalism. The problem is capitalism. When the press is a for-profit business instead of a public service, reporting the truth takes a back seat to generating revenue.

[@mkhud50n]

That’s not capitalism. It’s cronyism and ignoring laws with no enforcement. But that won’t stop the communists who spread their propaganda from still calling it capitalism. The anti-capitalism trend from people that don’t understand what they are talking about is getting very old.

[@haydenlee8332]

this

[@sozestone6469]

Facts

[@EvelynNdenial]

and when there are people in power controlling the flow of information news agencies will always submit themselves to censorship in exchange for access. in order to have truly free press not only do we need an end to capitalism we need to end the states hold on information. we need complete transparency as a given not given to us when the powerful decide.

[@kaio0777]

look i don't think going full socialism is the way either we need a middle ground honestly between the two.

[@RJ_Ehlert]

Reagan is truly a bottomless well of downstream tragedy.

[@UXtatic]

Facts.

[@TG13ism]

"Pick up your local paper..." What if mine is the Austin American-Statesman?!

[@Antonio-lt1sp]

Secret agendas, just that.

[@milascave2]

This is basically an updated version of what Nome Chomsky told us about decades back. But since then, it has gotten even worse.

[@exoZelia]

It's literally always Reagan

[@WisecrackEDU]

Sometimes we really try not to talk about Reagan, and then we start researching a topic and realize that we can't not talk about him.

[@rikusauske]

When giving information becomes a for profit industry theyll do anything for views.

[@theparadoxicaltouristtrave9320]

It's always capitalism's fault.

[@WisecrackEDU]

I mean . . . yeah.

[@mkhud50n]

Says the person brainwashed by communist propaganda. This isn’t capitalism it’s corruption.

[@migueld8970]

Crony Capitalism* There is nothing wrong with capitalism. It's politicians being paid off by corporate interests

[@JMSK248]

Wisecrack: Who killed journalism? Me (being a smartass): Fox News. Wisecrack: ...Richard Nixon meets Rogers Ailes... Me: And there it is.

[@suicune3776]

Because we know XD Politics is literally designed to manipulate you into choosing a party that spouts opinions you wouldn't have otherwise. Journalism is all about shaping things to fit a narrative. Even movies are straight up propaganda at this point It's so easy to see through XD

[@GonzoTehGreat]

Kudos 👍 to Wisecrack for making such a thoroughly researched and well presented, much needed, informative video about a subject which the MSM doesn't address, presumably because it implicates themselves. Journalism is yet another industry which has gradually subverted to promote corporate interests and unsurprisingly, this is easiest to see in the USA, although it's also happening elsewhere. Noam Chomsky warned about this in his 1988 book, "Manufacturing Consent".

[@TheSolitaryEye]

"They keep lying and getting caught." Roll credits.