The Press has Abandoned the People
One year ago, legacy media began their grand finale of self-destruction.
Projecting your own wrongdoings onto others is a common occurrence - particularly of the righteous, indignant mouthpieces of the Left we encountered last year who were viciously attacking anyone who voted for Donald J. Trump. As a collective, they appeared to lack introspection nor did they take inventory of their own contribution to the world’s ills. Instead, they preferred to spend their time attacking the perceived enemy with shadows they were casting from their own evil actions.
In the aftermath of the 2020 election, news anchors and journalists have increasingly used their platforms to engage in the worst of this abuse. They often spread fabricated stories to further progressive, corporatist agendas by using anonymous sources without corroborating evidence while simultaneously refusing to cover inconvenient truths they deem to be misinformation. Actual news then goes wild on alternative channels of communication which allows legacy news outlets to conveniently tell their audience its conspiracy theory or right-wing propaganda. This is a true dereliction of duty from those that should be safeguarding the public from embedded institutions of power.
Not only has our society broken down into factions because of this behavior, but the media’s irresponsibility and censorship of oppositional views have forced us into echo chambers. This makes everyone less able to think critically when bombarded with the same type of information repetitively without the benefit of opposing viewpoints. Most choose to surround themselves with the reality they wish to live in. The problem with that is, who among us really knows the truth?
Media as Propaganda
In Nazi Germany, propaganda was used regularly to “warn” the population about the inherent dark nature and evil intentions of all Jews. These abhorrent claims were "necessary" as a propaganda tool to desensitize the population for the carnage to come. When confronted with messages enough times - people start to believe information is true which makes it easier for them to look away as millions are persecuted and murdered. Rationalizing the actions of the State was key, "This is necessary for our country's ultimate destiny. These people are jeopardizing all of us and we must make you safe."
While we are many years removed from Nazi Germany, tactics used by the murderous regime have resurfaced in the United States through corporate control of the media. We all imagine we’re better than the world that looked away while the holocaust was happening but the tentacles of propaganda are pervasive and powerful. Right now, half the country is turning a blind eye to the plight of the other. Caricatures of the unvaccinated are projected as dirty, uneducated crazies that are trying to kill you and your family. Corporations as tools for the State have created separate spaces for each group for ”safety”. Most stand by as their friends, family, and neighbors lose jobs and educational opportunities or the chance to sit in a restaurant and enjoy a hot meal. We have not come as far as you want to believe. In the end, self-preservation is the route most people take in the face of tyranny.
Can you see it yet? The media writes the narrative dictated by their corporate overlords then bleats it into your ears endlessly until you start spouting their talking points and believe it’s the conclusion you arrived at through reasonable analysis.
It is the media and influential people in our society that are ringleaders of the insidious "headlines" and messaging that dehumanizes millions of people for all sorts of reasons. The increasing calls for accountability of voters by “journalists” with vast platforms and reach, encourage and promote the destruction of lives with the oft-repeated lies of defeating racism, authoritarianism and xenophobia. We need only look at headlines post-Virginia and NJ elections to see this in action.
Yes, there is a “systemic” issue in this country. It is systemic manipulation. The media acts on behalf of monied interests to advance stories that benefit them while shutting down free speech, free thought and free minds. They can no longer, and probably never could, be trusted.