Democracy Dies Behind Paywalls The case for making journalism free--at least during the 2024 election -- Richard Stengel

[hunter]

13. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make 'em drink.

My wife and I subscribe to a lot of publications the average republican voter wouldn't touch even if these publications were free.

People are not watching or reading so much crap because it's free, they are watching and reading it because it appeals to their fears and prejudices.

The problem isn't a lack of reliable information, the problem is people who are intellectually lazy. If you combine that intellectual laziness with a lack of empathy for anyone "outside the tribe" politics becomes toxic fast.

This is nothing new, it's not a problem brought on by the internet. The U.S.A. has always suffered very strong undercurrents of anti-intellectualism and there have always been politicians eager to take advantage of the fearful and ignorant.