Dan Froomkin: I blame the media

[Nevilledog]

https://presswatchers.org/2024/11/i-blame-the-media/


I am horrified and I am terrified and I am angry.

And I blame the media.

Yes, I am aware that some large number of people who voted for Trump did so fully aware that he will rule as a racist, a chaos agent, and a strongman. That’s what they want. Noted.

But a decisive subset apparently voted for him out of frustration with the economy, specifically inflation.

That they were insufficiently alarmed about the damage Trump will do – and that they actually thought he has some way to make the economy better and bring inflation down – was the result of a massive information system failure, the likes of which we’ve never seen before.

Although there is much talk about the brosphere and TikTok and podcasts and Fox News and all the other vectors for misinformation and disinformation in this current media environment, the traditional media is not off the hook, quite the contrary.

For one, elite media has tremendous influence on the national discourse, all the way down to TikTok and social media.

But more directly, the vast majority of voters still have some contact with the major traditional media outlets, including the broadcast networks, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, the New York Times and the Washington Post.

So what they hear and read there still matters.

*snip*

[spooky3]

1. This is the best analysis I've seen. This pgh in particular

Is compelling:

“ As an Ipsos report just before the election put it, ever so delicately, “Americans who answer questions about inflation incorrectly are more likely to prefer Trump over Harris on the economy. The same pattern holds true on immigration and crime.””

[blm]

2. Exactly.

[Basso8vb]

3. Our media has all devolved into right wing propaganda.

They failed us.

[MagickMuffin]

4. It's been like this since Newt and his Contract on America

Cable news were faxed the talking points of the day every day. The blabberheads didn’t miss a beat. Every damn news org had their talking points to manipulate the masses.

It worked then and has gotten extremely worse since then.


However, I also blame the registered voters who chose not to vote and sit it out. They definitely should share in the shame blame game!

[BigmanPigman]

5. This was very clear in July

The corporate media $$$, the big $$$ Dem donors, and the House and Senate Dems who want to please them, etc pushed Biden to drop out after "awful debate performance" as an excuse.

I just looked at my notes from July 21st and what popped out was what I wrote in big, red letters, "tRump is going to win now" and I stopped watching the news since I was getting sick from the stress. My gut instinct is usually correct and I wish I would listen to it more often.