Man, buckle up, because we're diving into the wild ride that is the decline of legacy media. You know, those old-school titans of newsprint and broadcast who've been running the show since forever. The New York Times, CNN, BBC – the whole gang. They were the gatekeepers, the news gods who spoon-fed us the world's happenings. But now? Now they're sweating bullets, trying to keep their crowns from slipping into the digital abyss.
Imagine a newsroom in the '70s. Cigarette smoke curls around typewriters, the click-clack of keys is like a symphony, and the editor's barking orders like a drill sergeant. That's how information was curated, polished, and presented. Fast forward to today – the newsroom is a ghost town, and everyone's glued to their screens, scrolling, swiping, tweeting.
The digital revolution hit legacy media like a freight train. Boom! Suddenly, anyone with a smartphone could be a journalist. Blogs, vlogs, podcasts – the whole damn internet became a news outlet. Social media turned into the Wild West, where news spreads like wildfire, unfiltered and unchecked. Legacy media, once the undisputed heavyweight champions, are now scrambling to keep up with these digital upstarts.
Take a look at the numbers. Newspaper circulation? Plummeting faster than a rock in a pond. TV ratings? Circling the drain. Ad revenue? Good luck with that. It's all about clicks, baby. Clickbait headlines, viral videos, and memes rule the roost. The attention span of the average Joe is shorter than a goldfish on espresso, and legacy media just can't keep up.
But it's not just about the numbers. It's about trust. People used to trust the news implicitly – if Walter Cronkite said it, it was gospel. Now? Trust in media is at an all-time low. Scandals, bias, fake news – the trust gap is wider than the Grand Canyon. Everyone's got an agenda, and discerning fact from fiction is like navigating a minefield.
And then there's the money. Legacy media's business model is older than dirt. Subscriptions, ads, classifieds – that's how they made bank. But now, with ad-blockers and free content galore, they're struggling to stay afloat. Digital natives like BuzzFeed and Vice figured out the game early – native advertising, sponsored content, and a social media presence that makes legacy media look like dinosaurs.
But wait, there's more. Enter the streaming giants. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime – they're not just for binge-watching anymore. They're producing documentaries, news shows, and original content that's giving traditional broadcasters a run for their money. Cable TV is on life support, and cord-cutting is the new black.
So, is the influence of legacy media declining? Hell yes, it is. They're fighting tooth and nail to stay relevant, but the digital juggernaut shows no mercy. It's adapt or die. Some are pivoting, embracing the digital landscape, and trying to reinvent themselves. Others are doubling down on quality journalism, hoping that substance will eventually trump style.
In this chaotic media landscape, one thing's for sure – the days of legacy media calling all the shots are over. It's a brave new world out there, and the battle for our eyeballs is just getting started. So grab your popcorn, folks. This show is far from over.
Political Bias in Legacy Media
The political bias of legacy media has shifted over the decades, influenced by ownership, management, and the political landscape. Historically, newspapers openly endorsed candidates. Today, biases are more subtle but still present.
The New York Times & The Washington Post: Perceived as liberal and Democratic-leaning.
The Wall Street Journal & Fox News: These outlets, owned by Rupert Murdoch, are generally perceived as conservative or Republican-leaning, especially the editorial pages of the WSJ and the prime-time lineup of Fox News. However, Fox News often disseminates the same falsehoods as Donald Trump. Fox News functions more as a key player in the cult of Trump rather than as a news outlet; it is primarily entertainment from the Murdoch channel, not news in the traditional sense.
Cable news and online platforms have made their biases clearer, with CNN and MSNBC often viewed as liberal, while Fox News, which has the highest television ratings, remains a significant player in conservative media.
The Murdoch Legacy
Fox News is clearly in the reality tv business. High-profile opinion hosts with ideological slants blend news and commentary, a classic tabloid technique. From the hosts to the figures they cover, Fox News focuses on personalities and dramatic narratives, another hallmark of tabloid journalism.
Rupert Murdoch’s influence is undeniable. His penchant for sensationalism and controversy shapes Fox News’s tone and style. From my perspective, this one man has had a tremendously negative influence on the state of journalism on this planet today. The power of his media empire, which includes cable networks, newspapers and other local media, cannot be over estimated.
Younger Generations and Legacy Media
Millennials and Gen Z, digital natives, prefer online sources for news and entertainment, favoring platforms like Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube. They prioritize convenience, immediacy, and interactive content, often distrusting legacy media for its perceived bias and lack of authenticity. However, they still consume content from traditional media through digital platforms, although this trend is declining.
The Internet: A Double-Edged Sword
The internet facilitates the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories, bypassing traditional editorial oversight. Social media algorithms prioritize engaging content, often amplifying sensational and emotionally charged information. This creates echo chambers, reinforcing existing beliefs and making false information seem credible.
Alternative Media: The Midas Touch Network
The Midas Touch Network, founded by Ben, Brett, and Jordan Meiselas, counters misinformation and supports democratic values. It produces news reports, commentary videos, and podcasts, providing a liberal perspective on current issues. Despite its smaller budget compared to legacy media giants, the network has garnered significant attention and viewership, demonstrating the growing influence of alternative media.
.The MeidasTouch Network has a strong online presence, with a popular YouTube channel where they post ten to fifteen videos each day on politics, law, and social issues. The MeidasTouch YouTube channel has over 3 billion views. They provide a liberal perspective on news and aim to foster a pro-democracy community through their content.
I have found over the past year or so that I’ve been watching the channel, that Ben Meiselas an attorney who represented Colin Kapernick and who’s now a law professor, to be very reliable source of information and analysis. His perspective, along with the other people who appear on the channel, is usually different than The New York Times and CNN. Meiselas has been pretty adamant about those two legacy media giants not reporting truthfully about Trump’s unfitness for office, and the total lunacy of his campaign. From his perspective, they treat Trump as if he is relatively normal, rather than the narcissistic psychopath he truly is.
David vs. Goliath?
On YouTube, The Midas Touch network has more views than CNN’s YouTube channel. And it’s gaining ground every day. In two years, MT has gone from one million to three million subscribers.
Like other media dinosaurs, legacy media is coming apart, never to regain its former dominance and facing an uncertain future. .
i'm adding 'goldfish on espresso' to my vernacular. brilliant as always Brett!
Thanks for turning me on to The Midas Touch.