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The Failure of American Journalism is Dooming the Nation
The United States is suffering simultaneous, catastrophic failures in the load-bearing supports of its society. These failures are occurring exactly at the moment when strength is required, and I fear for the outcome.
I believe in the power of communication. I believe in the power of words. I believe these tools are sufficient to meet the challenges of this moment in history. I do, however, realize that very few people have prepared adequately to confront what is happening in America, and this lack of preparation shows quite alarmingly in the mainstream news coverage of current events. The Fourth Estate may be the most important pillar of America that has buckled. The host was ill long before Donald Trump rode down that escalator and launched his Presidential campaign by coughing his virulent racism into the political air.
Ratings drive the news. That’s why during the campaign, Trump’s empty podium was given more time than his opponents’ speeches. All that free media (billions of dollars worth) was just turned over to him — a man anyone with the barest grasp of how decent society should function could see was unfit to lead. He put up numbers, though. That trumped everything else. When Les Moonves, the CEO of CBS, said of Trump’s campaign, “It may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS,” he let slip what many…
