Objectivity or Advocacy
Two Billionaires and the Future of Media
Americans rightly view the future of media with some trepidation. Billionaire owners Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are showing how private ownership of media companies allows experimentation to address declining public confidence in the media. However, neither of their respective attempts to promote and abandon objectivity seem likely to restore that confidence. Both Bezos’s tanking of the Washington Post’s endorsement of Kamala Harris and Elon Musk’s decision to walk away from content moderation on X (formerly Twitter) have resulted in punishing losses for their companies, obscuring the path forward for mass media in the US.
The History of Mass Media
"It seems now more certain than ever that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate[.]" Walter Cronkite, CBS News, February 1968
"If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America." President Lyndon Johnson in response to Cronkite’s on-air editorial
Johnson’s conclusion, true enough in its day, seems quaint today. In today’s fragmented media environment, no media figure could wield the same moral authority as Cronkite did in 1968. Those of us over 40 remember a time when the sources of news largely consisted of the three broadcast TV networks, the local paper, and a smattering of news radio and weekly magazines. Since those days, subscriptions to daily newspapers have dropped by two-thirds, while consumption of media on digital platforms has skyrocketed.
More and more people receive their news from social media sources, rather than traditional news organizations.
Despite this preference for digital devices and social media, the US public does not particularly trust those sources for reliable information.
However, the public does not appear to trust mass media, either, with only 31 percent of respondents to a recent Gallup poll reporting great for fair confidence in those sources, compared to a high of about 72 percent in the mid-1970s. Rates of distrust of mass media rose from about 4 percent in 1976 to 36 percent this year in the same poll.
Bezos and Musk, using their private ownership of, respectively, the Washington Post and X, chose opposite, but unsuccessful, directions for the future of their platforms.
Bezos’s Decision Not to Endorse and Caesar’s Wife
“Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.” - Julius Caesar upon divorcing his wife Pompeia after unsubstantiated rumors of her infidelity
Last week, Jeff Bezos prevented the Washington Post from endorsing Kamala Harris. His decision came after decades of presidential endorsements by the paper and endorsements in virtually every other significant race in the Washington, DC area. In response to allegations that his decision was motivated by a desire to protect his other businesses from a vengeful potential future Trump Administration, Bezos defended the decision by noting that, in light of falling revenues and the perception of bias on the part of the paper, he had to take this step to restore the perception of fairness at the Washington Post. To put it mildly, subscribers were not impressed, with fully 10 percent of digital subscribers cancelling their subscriptions in the following week. The decision will likely cost the Washington Post over $30 million over the next year. (The Post lost $77 million in 2023, even after substantial staff cuts.)
Musk and the Abandonment of Neutrality
Since buying X (formerly Twitter) in 2022, Elon Musk has largely abandoned content moderation, while his advocacy for Republican causes has skyrocketed. The results are unequivocal, with Republicans increasingly believing X is good for democracy, while almost half of Democratic users now see it as a forum where harassment is a problem. Further, virtually all Tweets that went viral last summer were from Republican and Republican-leaning sources. Two of the most popular were also two of those with the most dubious assertions, including one alleging the consumption of dogs and cats by Haitian immigrants in Ohio and an assertion that people were no longer safe in Democratic Philadelphia. (The former was proven false and the latter ignores the steep decline in violent crime Philadelphia in recent years.)
The public has not been kind to Musk’s manipulations. X has lost about 10 percent of its users, 30 percent of its ad revenue, and 80 percent of its market capitalization since Musk bought it.
The Uncertain Future of Media
When I asked my youth activism class at the University of Oregon what the future of media was likely to be, I heard only crickets. The diversification of media sources in the last 50 years provides platforms for more diverse voices. However, it has come at a high cost in terms of the public’s perception of the reliability of mass media. Further, neither Bezos’s claims of neutrality nor Musk’s abandonment of objectivity has increased public confidence in the medica. Still, objectivity holds an advantage, as a 2024 YouGov poll showed the top 3 most trusted media organizations as the Weather Channel, the BBC, and PBS, all of which strive for neutrality. In a prediction unlikely to provoke too much controversy, the Weather Channel is endorsing a cool, wet winter for the Pacific Northwest.
Faith in Democracy
Take a deep breath. We won’t know who the victor is on Election night. I see this as a positive thing, as it is the natural consequence of making voting as easy as possible, including postmarked ballots.
We can expect some chicanery during this time. Please have some faith in the system. Remember that, in 2020, there were over 60 challenges to the election results, including ones in front of Trump-appointed judges. They all failed.
Keep Letters from a Recovering Politician Free
As always, the best thing you can do to support this column is to share it with people who might be interested. I do not have a paid plan because I want folks to be able to access it without worrying about money. If you’d like to leave me a tip to show your appreciation, you can click on the “buy me a coffee” button below.
I have become a trusted and respectful believer of your opinions. Please continue, as there are not many choices left.
Horace Greeley and William Randolph Hearst would be proud.