thinking this am about the switch that has occurred in most media (left and right) from journalism to editorialism…
The right first tapped into this tactic of creating editorial superstars with Rush, i always wondered what would happen if the left did it. Kinda did it with Rachel Maddow years later.. i dont really watch any of this to know where its at now, except if i happen to tune into any large network TV news channel, i see editorialism IN THE PLACE of journalism.
a couple thoughts:
if you are tuning into an anchor or broadcaster to help with feelings, like to make you feel safer ,or scratch an itch of anger, realize that is identity that is being touch upon.
and if that is occurring, realize you may be tuning in for knowledge, instead of news or information. And knowledge is something we are supposed to make for ourselves, with our own reflection upon thoughts. When we hand it to others, it becomes philosophy. But knowledge is not deciding if you agree with philosophy, or repeating it. That’s basically just religion.
i have a theory for whats behind the switch from journalism to editorialism in most media: a need to establish brand amongst stations and individual reporters. Why? because news is a commodity, opinion is not. same reason MTV swapped videos for shows: shows have a more fixed identity, and you can advertise to a show demographic, more reliably.
Worst part: all this fuels the creation of personal identity built around little vignettes of reality. not the actual reality, frames of it. Identity can be helpful for oppressed people in framing how to navigate the world, but past that, it becomes something we feel compelled to cling to, and as things in life change, as we change, and move forward and adapt to life, the clinging stunts us, prevents us from seeing what is now occurring through a lens of this time, instead, with us looking through our identity lens of yesterday.
personally, i don’t watch any of this shit. Cable tv was built for a 24hr news cycle, not me. I just check in occasionally. But im involved in politics every day, and so are we all, just ones closer and more relevant to us, though we may not see their power or importance.