On August 1, one of our columnists wrote a piece on these pages about how the media landscape is changing because of New Media.
The piece, titled "Tucker, Musk, Rogan Unleash New Media Power to Counter MSM Bias," described how fresh voices had the potential to "more than neutralize mainstream media outlets' propaganda."
Now, less than a week before Election Day, legacy media outlets are dropping like flies from their elevated perches as self-appointed guardians of idealism, democracy, and human rights.
First, it was the venerable Los Angeles Times, a liberal bastion of news and opinion that has always favored the Democrats. Directed by its owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong, the Times board announced that it would not endorse a candidate for President, a first in the Times' history. The decision resulted in Mariel Garza, the editorial editor, quitting in protest.
The next day, it was the Washington Post.
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the owner of the ultra-liberal and anti-Trump newspaper since 2013, penned an op-ed in his newspaper to justify his paper's EB decision, which went further than the LA Times: "The hard truth: Americans don't trust the news media."
But Bezos' justification was still rooted in a Big Brother view of the Fourth Estate: "Lack of credibility isn't unique to The Post. Our brethren newspapers have the same issue. And it's a problem not only for the media, but also for the nation. Many people are turning to off-the-cuff podcasts, inaccurate social media posts, and other unverified news sources, which can quickly spread misinformation and deepen divisions."
Translation: We alone are gatekeepers of the truth, and social media platforms aren't.
As the last nail in the coffin, as Politico reported, USA Today and the 200-plus local publications under the Gannett umbrella announced that they would not endorse a presidential candidate, the latest in a slew of non-endorsements among major national outlets.
Bezos acknowledged that legacy media outlets have a long way to go to build trust with readers: "By itself, declining to endorse presidential candidates is not enough to move us very far up the trust scale, but it's a meaningful step in the right direction."
We could offer MSM outlets another piece of advice: Don't fire talented journalists unless you want to do so at your peril.
Viewers watch television programs and listen to radio shows because of the talent in front of the cameras or the microphone. Of course, a sizable staff of professionals puts together a show, but the voice that engages with the public is crucial in building trust.
Since the #The MeToo movement took off, media organizations have been ahead of all other industries in canceling their talent without offering the accused a chance of due process.
Consider Bill Maher, the original host of the Politically Incorrect show on ABC, when the program's content was ahead of its time. After controversial comments he made following the 9/11 attacks - that terrorists were not cowards, suggesting that launching suicide attacks was, however misguided, not cowardly compared to launching missiles from afar to kill innocent people - ABC fired him. Most of us didn't agree with Maher, but was firing the only remedy? Maher brought his show to HBO in 2003. As the host of Real Time with Bill Maher, he remains one of the most influential voices in the media.
At least, Maher's move was from one network to another. What happened to Megyn Kelly, a well-known American journalist and media personality who became famous at Fox News, was an extraordinary story of talent resilience.
In 2017, Kelly joined NBC News, hosting Megyn Kelly Today, but was fired in 2018 following a controversial segment about blackface and Halloween costumes. Was this cancellation a wise decision by NBC News? Hardly. Armed with severance payments from her contract, she set up a podcast that is now one of the most-watched programs in the country.
Fox News fired Tucker Carlson in 2023 for reasons not fully disclosed. Carlson subsequently launched a show on X and has become a more prominent celebrity than he was when he was at Fox. He scored a one-on-one with President Putin and sits down with the country's most notable individuals, many of whom are shunned by traditional media.
The public craves talent and is much more forgiving than media organizations. Even when media personalities, such as Mark Halperin, have been fired for sexual harassment, New Media offers them a second chance to resurrect their careers. Halperin's 2Way TV show and podcasts have become a fixture in the days leading to November 5 as thousands of listeners tune in to listen to Halperin's analysis and his guests.
Because the barrier to entering New Media journalism is so low—just about anyone can create a podcast in their living room and publish it—journalistic talent has an opportunity to engage with their audience and grow. It is the ultimate democratic solution to the monopoly power of media networks and companies, which, with extensive HR organizations, constantly police content for political correctness.
Editorial rooms even police journalists' language through "style guides," whereas New Media speaks the language of the people it serves. The prominent newspapers do not differentiate between legal and illegal immigrants, calling them all migrants, but in the New Media world, even the term "illegal alien," which appears everywhere in the Immigration and Nationality Act, is commonplace.
If Bezos wants Americans to trust the news media more, he should instruct The Washington Post to drop down from its high perch and all-around elitism and communicate with Americans in a language they understand like New Media does every day. Not excessively punishing talent that the public wants should also help.
Great Reads From TIPP Insights.com
Demonizing Dissent: What Biden’s Attack On Trump Supporters Reveals About The Left - Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal
The $15 Billion Biden-Harris Scandal Nobody Is Talking About - Editorial Board, Issues & Insights
Fact-Checking Kamala Harris’ Ellipse Speech - Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal
We’re Keeping A List Of Everyone Who Has Called Trump A ‘Fascist’ - Editorial Board, Issues & Insights
Inflation: Government’s Secret Tax That Erodes Your Hard-Earned Cash - Preston Brashers, The Daily Signal
Harris’ Plan To Spread California’s Economic Dysfunction - David Ditch, The Daily Signal
Betting Markets Have Trump Running The Table Days Before Election - Christina Lewis, The Daily Signal
The Illusion Of Growth: How Inflation Skews Our Perception Of The Stock Market - Alexander Frei, The Daily Signal
Electoral Showdown 2024: Latest Win Probabilities – November 2 - TIPP Insights
TIPP Tracking Day 20 – Trump and Harris Deadlocked With Three Days To Go - TIPP Insights
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Ceasefire Hopes Fade As Israel Bombards Gaza, Lebanon - Reuters
Prospects of a ceasefire between Israel and its foes Hamas and Hezbollah ran aground on Friday as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 68 people in the Gaza Strip, according to medics in the Palestinian enclave, and battered Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The Israeli military said it killed senior Hamas official Izz al-Din Kassab in an airstrike in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis and described him as one of the last surviving high-ranking members of Hamas responsible for coordinating with other groups in Gaza.
2. Lebanon Accuses Israel Of Rejecting Truce After Beirut Strikes - AFP
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the “expansion” of Israel’s attacks, saying they signaled a refusal to engage in truce efforts.
“The Israeli enemy’s renewed expansion... and its renewed targeting of the southern suburbs of Beirut with destructive raids are all indicators that confirm the Israeli enemy’s rejection of all efforts being made to secure a ceasefire,” he said. Analysts say Israel’s campaign in Lebanon has put it in a position of strength to reach a deal.
3. Pentagon Deploys B-52 Bombers, Tankers To Middle East Amid Rising Tensions - Al Arabiya
The Pentagon said in a statement that this deployment, that also includes fighter jets and Navy destroyers, is part of the readjustment of military assets as the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group prepares to leave the region.
“Should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every measure necessary to defend our people,” Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said in a statement.
4. North Korea Pledges To Stand By Russia Until ‘Victory’ In Ukraine - Al Jazeera
North Korea will back Russia until it achieves victory in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said in Moscow as the United States warned thousands of Pyongyang’s troops were at the Ukrainian border and could soon be deployed into combat.
In her meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Choe also accused the U.S.and South Korea of plotting a nuclear strike against her country.
5. ICBM Test ‘Proves’ North Korea’s Missile Tech Helped By Russia Alliance, Experts Say - RFA
“North Korea is getting ever more dangerous missile technology thanks to its new alliance with Russia, and I think yesterday’s test goes a long way to proving that,” Harry Kazianis of the Washington-based Center for the National Interest think tank told RFA Korean.
Kazianis said it seemed like Pyongyang was gaining billions of U.S. dollars in economic aid and missile technology or even nuclear weapons technology from Moscow.
6. Tesla Rival BYD Doubles Overseas Sales, Led By Brazil Surge - Nikkei Asia
Top Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD doubled its overseas sales volume for the nine months to September, with gains in Brazil and Southeast Asia offsetting European setbacks.
Thailand also drives growth for the Chinese EV maker amid headwinds in Europe. BYD sold 298,000 vehicles outside of China, while sales in China grew 27% on the year to 2.43 million vehicles.
7. American Democracy ‘Messy,’ Chinese State Media Says - RFA
Chinese state media has been hammering home the point that American democracy is messy and violent and encourages extreme behaviors on both sides. At the same time, commentators told Radio Free Asia that ordinary people seem to support Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump in roughly equal measure.
“In the past three months, Trump has survived multiple assassination attempts,” the state-run China Daily newspaper said in an Oct. 29 commentary. “Harris’s campaign office in Arizona was also shot at and vandalized.”
8. Japan And EU Announce Security Partnership Amid Growing Regional Tensions - Al Jazeera
“We live in a very dangerous world,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Tokyo alongside Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.
“We live in a world of growing rivalries, climate accidents and threats of war. And there is only one antidote to this challenging world, which is partnerships among friends,” Borrell added, announcing the security partnership. The agreement is the first that the EU has concluded with an Asia Pacific country, the two officials said.
9. Kim Jong-Un's Powerful Sister Condemns U.N.'s Criticism Of N. Korean ICBM Launch - Yonhap
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday denounced North Korea's launch of a Hwasong-19 ICBM as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and vice department director of the Workers' Party's Central Committee, expressed "strong dissatisfaction" with Guterres' remarks, calling them "unfair and prejudiced" in a statement carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
10. South Korea, U.S. Stage Joint Drone Strike Drills For 1st Time - Yonhap
The live-fire drills, involving a South Korean RQ-4B Global Hawk surveillance drone and a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper attack drone, took place at an unspecified location in South Korea. They were an apparent show of the allies' military capabilities against North Korean threats.
According to the Air Force, the drills took place under a scenario of striking the origin of an enemy provocation. The South Korean drone collected data on simulated targets and shared it with the U.S. unmanned aircraft.
11. 'Buy Africa,' Development Bank President Tells Risk-Shy Japan - Nikkei Asia
Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank, told Nikkei that risk-averse Japanese investors should be more willing to invest in Africa and its growth potential, as China, Europe, and other economies already have.
Given the continent's abundance of critical minerals for green technology, and a fast-growing population that is poised to create a huge consumer market, "Japan needs to do more in Africa," Adesina said. Adesina argues that the region is not being assessed fairly, including by ratings agencies.
12. AI Hoax Causes Thousands To Show Up In Dublin, Ireland, For Non-Existent Halloween Parade - UPI
The website My Spirit Halloween falsely promoted a Macnas Halloween Parade, which led to large crowds of people gathering on the streets.
Macnas is a performing arts group that has staged Halloween parades in Dublin since 2013. The COVID-19 pandemic stopped those parades until last year, but the group had not scheduled one in 2024. The website that touted the fake parade appeared to have removed the listing.
13. Have Chronic Low Back Pain? Try Virtual Yoga, Study Suggests - UPI Health
Although clinicians first recommend trying nonmedical interventions, such as yoga, researchers said obstacles exist to practicing this mind-body technique.
Among the two groups of study participants, those who did yoga had more significant reductions in pain intensity than those who waited to try the intervention.
Radha Metro-Midkiff, executive director of Integral Yoga Institute NY in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood, says virtual yoga can be as effective as in-person practice.
14. Study Advises Seniors To Delay Elective Surgeries After Heart Attack - HealthDay News
People aged 67 and older face double to triple the risk of life-threatening complications – like a stroke or a second heart attack – if they move forward with elective surgery too soon following a heart attack, researchers found.
The new study shows that current guidelines likely are too loose, the study authors noted. Currently, heart attack patients are told to wait two months before undergoing any elective surgery, researchers said in background notes.
