3 ms·

While always left-leaning, PBS was much more balanced in the past. These days, most of their invited guests are either NYT, or WaPo reporters and they have beco

by jazzyk 10y ago

While always left-leaning, PBS was much more balanced in the past. These days, most of their invited guests are either NYT, or WaPo reporters and they have become - sadly - increasingly unbalanced, leftist propagandists. Being critical of a current administration is fine, but leaving out stories which don't fit their narrative is just... propaganda. No other way to describe it. Not that Fox News and the other right wing sources don't do the same thing, but I thought we could expect higher standards from PBS/NPR. Not anymore - so I stopped supporting them (after 25 years of solid and faithful financial support). This sad commentary applies to all media - there just isn't a single, reasonably balanced source of news anymore. I guess being truly fair and balanced (and no, Fox News ain't it :-)) just does not sell anymore. Perhaps having 6 huge corporations owning all major media (PBS excepted) has something to do with it

alphabettsy 10y ago
Media consolidation certinaly hasn't helped. It does seem to me that individual journalists are making their views known more commonly and it's definitely easier to spot when they're actively engaging their audience on social media. Part of me wonders if them being encouraged or required to participate in social media causes some bias towards getting approval from fans. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems that news organizations being further driven towards higher profits also causes them to follow consumer trends and popular stories in "their audience" rather than doing more investigative journalism and objective reporting. It's almost like social media and popular opinion drive the story rather than just tipping off journalists to where the story might be, its lazy and probably cheaper.
cvwright 10y ago
I appreciate Masterpiece Mystery and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood as much as anyone. But unfortunately I have to agree with some of this. I watched the election night coverage on PBS. As more states started turning red, the host looked like she was about to cry. And she looked like she was physically in pain, or wanted to spit, each time she said the words "white working class" voters. So it comes as no surprise that those voters, and the candidate they elected, are going to want to pull the plug. It's a real shame, too. How could they not see this coming?
- yostrovs 10y ago
  They didn't see it coming during election day because PBS is part of the 'bubble', just another liberal media source that doesn't understand the whole of America. Why would a Republican president want to fund them if all he'll get is negative commentary?

by jazzyk 10y ago

alphabettsy 10y ago

Media consolidation certinaly hasn't helped. It does seem to me that individual journalists are making their views known more commonly and it's definitely easier to spot when they're actively engaging their audience on social media. Part of me wonders if them being encouraged or required to participate in social media causes some bias towards getting approval from fans. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems that news organizations being further driven towards higher profits also causes them to follow consumer trends and popular stories in "their audience" rather than doing more investigative journalism and objective reporting. It's almost like social media and popular opinion drive the story rather than just tipping off journalists to where the story might be, its lazy and probably cheaper.

cvwright 10y ago

I appreciate Masterpiece Mystery and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood as much as anyone. But unfortunately I have to agree with some of this. I watched the election night coverage on PBS. As more states started turning red, the host looked like she was about to cry. And she looked like she was physically in pain, or wanted to spit, each time she said the words "white working class" voters. So it comes as no surprise that those voters, and the candidate they elected, are going to want to pull the plug. It's a real shame, too. How could they not see this coming?

yostrovs 10y ago
They didn't see it coming during election day because PBS is part of the 'bubble', just another liberal media source that doesn't understand the whole of America. Why would a Republican president want to fund them if all he'll get is negative commentary?