When we talk about trust in media today, we're witnessing something profound, even if it's not a total shock.
A recent Pew Research survey reveals a transformation that should make us all pause. Republicans and young adults now trust social media almost as much as national news outlets.
Let that sink in.
Thanks, Elon.
The numbers tell a striking story. Thirty-seven percent of Republicans trust social media information compared to 40% for national news. A staggering 30-point trust drop since just 2016, when Donald Trump was elected president.
Meanwhile, 52% of under-30s trust social media, nearly matching their total trust in national news. About 56% of them trusted. But here's what's crucial.
This isn't just another story about political polarization, although that's clearly part of the story. Democrats, traditionally stalwart supporters of mainstream media, have seen their trust erode from just under 80% in the 1970s to 54% today.
This clearly isn't just about Donald Trump, Fox News, or the Daily Wire, though they've certainly benefited. But they're players in a much longer game, one driven by technological evolution and changing relationships with information itself.
Throughout history, our media landscape has evolved from books to telegraphs, radio to television, cable news to social media, to podcasts like this one. Each transition fundamentally altered how we consume and trust information.
What we're seeing now isn't the disease. It's a symptom of an ongoing evolution. The mainstream media's increasingly transparent bias has created a disconnect. On top of that, their wants, their decisions, and their feelings—they're more obvious about it all now. And that could be okay.
Honestly, I think it fits the coming landscape—if they were honest about it. But they're not. And trust, once broken, is hard to repair. Some say it's necessary. It's what Keith Olbermann and Wesley Lowery call moral force or moral clarity, reporting for the greater good as they see it.
Right or wrong, there are consequences for every action. Those who agree with your assessment expect more of it, and nothing but it. And those who disagree with it don't trust you anymore.
It's a trap.
These days, I often think of one of my favorite misquotes: "There are decades when nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades happen." Reporters made this choice in an era with the easy and widely spread democratization of media platforms.
It's one of the reasons why people naturally gravitate to outlets that reflect their perspective, their values, their point of view, and the issues that they want to see challenged.
It's not the first time, and it won't be the last. These smaller venues often cover issues that major media overlooks, speaking to audiences in ways that resonate with their lived experiences.
Is this good for society? Well, it's complicated. There are trade-offs, just as there were with the old paradigm. But personally, I lean towards seeing this as a positive development. I prefer distributed power over top-down control, no matter the consequences.
But then again, I'm a crazy guy publishing podcasts and newsletters for a few thousand people monthly.
What matters here isn't just about what stories get covered, but how different perspectives shape our understanding of them. As traditional gatekeepers lose their grip, we're seeing a more diverse, fragmented mediascape emerge.
This transition isn't just about changing preferences. It's about how we as a society form our worldviews. If we're getting our facts from drastically different sources, how can we hope to have common ground?
The truth is, throughout history, we never really have—until recently. Yet maybe that's not the right question at all. Perhaps we should ask: how can this diversity of voices and choices by the consumer in news outlets lead to richer, more nuanced understandings of our world?
Or maybe that's just wishful thinking.
What do you think? Am I far off base here? Is this shift a cause for concern or natural evolution?
Let me know in the comments and support my work at jamesbrowntv.substack.com.
On that note, I'm James Brown, and as always, be well.
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