The Changing Media Landscape
Jeffrey Tucker, in an interview with journalist Megyn Kelly, discovered that her private media company surpasses mainstream legacy networks in terms of traffic and influence, despite having only six employees. Kelly, who was dismissed by NBC in 2018, believed her career was over. However, she bounced back with her own broadcasting company and has since found happiness and increased influence.
Tucker Carlson shares a similar story. His network's size and influence far surpass what he achieved at Fox. Although the exact number of employees at his personal channel is unknown, it's estimated to be no more than a dozen.
Joe Rogan's show is another example of a successful, influential platform. Additionally, thousands of others have influence within their respective sectors. The influence once held by legacy media seems to be dwindling, as evidenced by the number of candidates appearing on podcasts during election season.
The rise of these new media platforms could be attributed to advancements in technology. However, there's more to the story.
A recent Gallup poll provides some insight.
The poll reveals that trust in major media is at an all-time low, falling from a post-Watergate high of 72 percent in 1976 to 31 percent today. This significant decline cannot be solely attributed to technological changes. The poll also shows a significant loss of trust in government and essentially all official institutions.
This loss of trust is more profound among individuals under 40, who have grown up with alternative media and developed a sophisticated understanding of information flow. They are deeply suspicious of any institution that seeks to control public culture.
Gallup notes, "The news media is the least trusted group among 10 U.S. civic and political institutions involved in the democratic process." In contrast, majorities of U.S. adults express at least a fair amount of trust in their local and state governments to handle local and state problems, respectively.
The poll suggests that we are defaulting back to the America of Alexis de Tocqueville, a network of self-governing communities of friends and neighbors rather than a centrally managed monolith. The farther the institutions get from people’s direct experiences, the less they are trusted.
The decline in trust is not solely due to distance or technology. Legacy media's aggressive partisanship over the past nine years has alienated a large portion of the viewing audience. Despite efforts to fix this problem, top executives face tremendous pressure from within, from reporters and technicians with Ivy League educations and a dedication to woke ideology.
The New York Times attempted to repair the damage from having mishandled the 2016 election by hiring new editors and writers. However, they were eventually driven out, reminding the top brass of the ongoing cultural revolution. As a result, the Times reverted back to extreme partisanship, leaving owners and managers to find other ways to sustain profitability.
It appears that the entire industry is undergoing a long meltdown with no available solutions. Large audiences have turned away from them towards alternatives that are dedicated to presenting facts and truths that actual readers care about.
A lingering question is whether this loss of trust is entirely due to a change in media bias or if new technological options have simply revealed what might always have been there but was not widely known.
In the past, there were only three television channels and one local newspaper. The nightly news lasted 30 minutes and consisted of international news, national news, sports, and local news and weather. News media was highly trusted, but was that trust based on reliable and excellent reporting or simply a reflection of all that people did not know?
With the advent of the internet and social media, the veil was truly lifted and the media was completely transformed. This change has been lamented by people on all sides of the political spectrum.
The rise of alternative media has undoubtedly contributed to the decline in public trust in mainstream media. This may not reflect a fundamental change in the bias of media sources but simply the reality that we are only now fully aware of what has always been true.
Kelly and Carlson's business model, which accomplishes more with fewer staff, is a solid prediction for the future of many legacy media companies. They will likely be able to do more with less, and do it with more fairness and less bias due to economic realities.
The entire landscape of information and media economies is dramatically shifting, leading to increased calls for censorship. Many elites long for the old days of canned and constructed narratives with no other options. However, the well-documented loss of trust makes that little more than a pipe dream.
The only viable path to earning audience loyalty in our times is to write and speak with fact-based integrity. Trust has to be earned.
Bottom Line
The media landscape is changing rapidly, with trust in traditional media at an all-time low and alternative media platforms gaining influence. This shift may be due to a combination of technological advancements and a growing awareness of media bias. In this new landscape, media companies must earn their audience's trust through fact-based reporting and integrity. What are your thoughts on this shift in the media landscape? Share this article with your friends and let us know your thoughts. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.
The Changing Media Landscape
Jeffrey Tucker, in an interview with journalist Megyn Kelly, discovered that her private media company surpasses mainstream legacy networks in terms of traffic and influence, despite having only six employees. Kelly, who was dismissed by NBC in 2018, believed her career was over. However, she bounced back with her own broadcasting company and has since found happiness and increased influence.
Tucker Carlson shares a similar story. His network's size and influence far surpass what he achieved at Fox. Although the exact number of employees at his personal channel is unknown, it's estimated to be no more than a dozen.
Joe Rogan's show is another example of a successful, influential platform. Additionally, thousands of others have influence within their respective sectors. The influence once held by legacy media seems to be dwindling, as evidenced by the number of candidates appearing on podcasts during election season.
The rise of these new media platforms could be attributed to advancements in technology. However, there's more to the story.
A recent Gallup poll provides some insight.
The poll reveals that trust in major media is at an all-time low, falling from a post-Watergate high of 72 percent in 1976 to 31 percent today. This significant decline cannot be solely attributed to technological changes. The poll also shows a significant loss of trust in government and essentially all official institutions.
This loss of trust is more profound among individuals under 40, who have grown up with alternative media and developed a sophisticated understanding of information flow. They are deeply suspicious of any institution that seeks to control public culture.
Gallup notes, "The news media is the least trusted group among 10 U.S. civic and political institutions involved in the democratic process." In contrast, majorities of U.S. adults express at least a fair amount of trust in their local and state governments to handle local and state problems, respectively.
The poll suggests that we are defaulting back to the America of Alexis de Tocqueville, a network of self-governing communities of friends and neighbors rather than a centrally managed monolith. The farther the institutions get from people’s direct experiences, the less they are trusted.
The decline in trust is not solely due to distance or technology. Legacy media's aggressive partisanship over the past nine years has alienated a large portion of the viewing audience. Despite efforts to fix this problem, top executives face tremendous pressure from within, from reporters and technicians with Ivy League educations and a dedication to woke ideology.
The New York Times attempted to repair the damage from having mishandled the 2016 election by hiring new editors and writers. However, they were eventually driven out, reminding the top brass of the ongoing cultural revolution. As a result, the Times reverted back to extreme partisanship, leaving owners and managers to find other ways to sustain profitability.
It appears that the entire industry is undergoing a long meltdown with no available solutions. Large audiences have turned away from them towards alternatives that are dedicated to presenting facts and truths that actual readers care about.
A lingering question is whether this loss of trust is entirely due to a change in media bias or if new technological options have simply revealed what might always have been there but was not widely known.
In the past, there were only three television channels and one local newspaper. The nightly news lasted 30 minutes and consisted of international news, national news, sports, and local news and weather. News media was highly trusted, but was that trust based on reliable and excellent reporting or simply a reflection of all that people did not know?
With the advent of the internet and social media, the veil was truly lifted and the media was completely transformed. This change has been lamented by people on all sides of the political spectrum.
The rise of alternative media has undoubtedly contributed to the decline in public trust in mainstream media. This may not reflect a fundamental change in the bias of media sources but simply the reality that we are only now fully aware of what has always been true.
Kelly and Carlson's business model, which accomplishes more with fewer staff, is a solid prediction for the future of many legacy media companies. They will likely be able to do more with less, and do it with more fairness and less bias due to economic realities.
The entire landscape of information and media economies is dramatically shifting, leading to increased calls for censorship. Many elites long for the old days of canned and constructed narratives with no other options. However, the well-documented loss of trust makes that little more than a pipe dream.
The only viable path to earning audience loyalty in our times is to write and speak with fact-based integrity. Trust has to be earned.
Bottom Line
The media landscape is changing rapidly, with trust in traditional media at an all-time low and alternative media platforms gaining influence. This shift may be due to a combination of technological advancements and a growing awareness of media bias. In this new landscape, media companies must earn their audience's trust through fact-based reporting and integrity. What are your thoughts on this shift in the media landscape? Share this article with your friends and let us know your thoughts. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.
