As party leaders in Washington, D.C. continue losing their way, brazenly waging war on truth, the need has never been greater for Americans across the political spectrum to become savvier news consumers.
Both FOX News and MSNBC are media giants trusted by huge numbers of people. Both are too far from the center to provide much fair coverage. (Their commentators are particularly polarized.) But when it comes to major 24-hour TV news networks, one major difference exists between the left and the right: Moderates on the left have a home (CNN). But moderates on the right have been homeless for years. FOX News network has no moderate conservative competitor, which is becoming an ever greater factor in the GOP losing its way. The more extreme righters have the megaphone.
When the parents of slain DNC staffer Seth Rich successfully sued FOX News for repeatedly disseminating false information about their son’s death, the October 2020 legal settlement included something interesting: The details of the settlement would reflect negatively on the incumbent Republican presidential candidate. Under its terms, the settlement would remain unannounced until after the Nov. 3 election. Pushing for that delay was the unmistakable conduct of a political organization, not a news network.
So if their business is propaganda, where, exactly, are conservative viewers to go?
Thank goodness for newspapers.
I can’t pull a moderate conservative news network out of my pocket. But I can urge people to diversify their news intake and seek contrasting sides to stories that matter. It’s the only way to stay informed.
Lisa Rogers
Meridian, Idaho