What's wrong with American priorities? THIS...

[RufusTFirefly]

12. Media consolidation and relaxed FCC licensing play a key role in this

TV and radio were always susceptible to censorship, propaganda, and corruption. And yet, once upon a time they had two key counterbalances that have been removed:

1. Independence. Pre-Reagan, the media landscape was far more diverse. More than a hundred companies, many of them local, competed for access to your eyes and ears. Now, most of what we see and hear is controlled by just a half dozen corporations with no connection to the community. Profit is everything. Why waste money by doing an in-depth analysis of local elections when you can run highly profitable campaign ads instead?

2. Accountability. Radio and television station licenses periodically came up for renewal. In order to retain its license, a station had to prove to the FCC that is was operating in the public interest. Stations were still in the business of making money, but they understood that campaign forums, local documentaries, editorials, and in-depth reporting on civic issues were part of the cost of staying on the air.