Is there an accountability issue in US media regarding rhetoric and propaganda? In the realm of US politics, the right accuses the left of using propaganda to incite violence, while the left criticizes the right for spreading propaganda about stolen elections leading to events like January 6th.
Is there validity to both arguments? Can a case be made for both sides? Do your trusted media sources engage in propaganda, and what about those you disagree with?
How do you assess and address this issue without infringing on freedom of speech?
The news media faces an integrity crisis. While there used to be a clear distinction between the objective news reporting and opinion pieces, nowadays it’s evident that opinion pieces often dominate. Unfortunately, this is what attracts viewers.
Another issue is the abandonment of the FCC’s fairness doctrine in the mid-1980s, which previously mandated that media present both sides of politically controversial issues.
Moreover, the news industry is struggling financially. The rise of clickbait journalism has incentivized partisan reporting, as journalists find more success catering to the biases of their audiences.