The self-preservation of the media [View all]

The American news media, as an institution, has mostly failed to rise to the challenge of the Age of Trump – even after more than 8 years of experience. But, there are some bold and brave voices who stand out for their truth-telling and role-modeling of pro-democracy journalism and how their peers in the media should be responding to the crisis.

For example, in an excellent critical review and essay at The Philadelphia Inquirer about Alex Garland's new film “Civil War,” Will Bunch highlights how its main characters are emblematic of the failures of the American news media:

The zeitgeist underlying Civil War reminded me of how the five leading TV news networks recently put aside their competitive rivalries to write a rare open letter that revealed the one thing newsroom leaders care passionately about: begging Trump and President Joe Biden to stage televised debates in the fall. That’s because even with Garland’s vision of dystopia too close for comfort, TV bosses still only care about ratings and a showcase for “both sides,” even when one side is a lying, three-term-president-in-waiting. Like Civil War’s Joel, they just want to get that quote, nothing more.

While the major news outlets continue to obsess on “both-sidesing” a five-alarm fire for the American Experiment, aided by reporters seeking to find “the fun” in politics even when our politics feel like 1861, there are some folks who do get it.