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What do you think the problem is, do you think it’s just hard to create national news programming that both left and right can agree on? I don’t really listen

What do you think the problem is, do you think it’s just hard to create national news programming that both left and right can agree on? I don’t really listen to NPR anymore either, I guess a lot because I don’t drive as much but somewhat because the best shows have gone independent. I like the idea of NPR, but maybe it just doesn’t have a place in the modern media landscape? Either way, this feels like a phyrric victory.

TimorousBestie 1y ago
Yes, I think that’s the problem. It’s not possible to, e.g., merely juxtapose a right wing opinion with a left wing opinion and then declare victory. Even Wikipedia’s approach of searching for a neutral point of view has come under attack these past years, from multiple unhappy factions. I don’t think there’s an obvious solution. It sucks.
alabastervlog 1y ago
Becoming satisfactorily "right" to avoid accusations of left-wing bias means embracing simply made-up stories, as a matter of daily routine. You also have to dial up the culture war stuff and make it far more prominent, not dial it down, while slanting it much farther right-wing. This will usually involve some significant overlap with the "made-up stories" thing. You also don't get to follow reasonable lines for follow up like, "hey, if all that 'fraud' we covered was real and the evidence was as clear and widespread as you said... now that you're in power, where are the investigations? Where are the indictments?" and repeat for a ton of other similar things where accusations fly with confidence when there are no stakes, but as soon as they're asked to put up or shut up, they... well, they don't even shut up, they keep talking about them, they just never do anything because it's all made-up and can't survive contact with reality. You know, the kind of thing a responsible right-wing (or any-wing!) source that was taking them seriously and cared about the alleged problem would do. You mustn't do that.
mrguyorama 1y ago
Fox News found that to keep the right wing happy you have to say things you know to be untrue, which in most cases is a crime.

TimorousBestie 1y ago

Yes, I think that’s the problem. It’s not possible to, e.g., merely juxtapose a right wing opinion with a left wing opinion and then declare victory. Even Wikipedia’s approach of searching for a neutral point of view has come under attack these past years, from multiple unhappy factions. I don’t think there’s an obvious solution. It sucks.

alabastervlog 1y ago

Becoming satisfactorily "right" to avoid accusations of left-wing bias means embracing simply made-up stories, as a matter of daily routine. You also have to dial up the culture war stuff and make it far more prominent, not dial it down, while slanting it much farther right-wing. This will usually involve some significant overlap with the "made-up stories" thing. You also don't get to follow reasonable lines for follow up like, "hey, if all that 'fraud' we covered was real and the evidence was as clear and widespread as you said... now that you're in power, where are the investigations? Where are the indictments?" and repeat for a ton of other similar things where accusations fly with confidence when there are no stakes, but as soon as they're asked to put up or shut up, they... well, they don't even shut up, they keep talking about them, they just never do anything because it's all made-up and can't survive contact with reality. You know, the kind of thing a responsible right-wing (or any-wing!) source that was taking them seriously and cared about the alleged problem would do. You mustn't do that.

mrguyorama 1y ago

Fox News found that to keep the right wing happy you have to say things you know to be untrue, which in most cases is a crime.