The Results Are In: Our culture is broken. Media is part of the problem.
Tags: News, Politics, Bias, Women, Culture

One side in celebration-photo credit Philadelphia Magazine

70 million People Said “No” to Biden. 74 million said “No” to Trump.

David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

Depending on your media sources, you feel right has prevailed or ‘the right’ has been robbed. Jeez, that’s confusing. What’s a regular person to think? Here are some themes to consider.

Theme 1: The public needs trustworthy media.. Almost 60% of Americans have little to no trust in mass media, according to Gallup.com in advance of this year’s elections.

More people trust auto mechanics than trust news media, according to a MoneyWise poll.

In response to this lack of trust, conservatives primarily turn to FOX News and liberals mix it up among a variety of mainstream options, both groups trying to find … um … truth. Most people are not feeling like they’ve found it. Generally speaking, they feel like they are being spun and spun.

Millions of Americans actually seek out-of-country media options, like BBC, to get a less politicized take on American news and information.

Taylor Hatmaker of Tech Crunch reported in January that research from Stanford and New York University found “deactivation [of Facebook] improved subjective well-being, and that people learned that they enjoy life without Facebook more than they had anticipated.” Hmm. Could it be that we are tired of the clatter, manipulation and bias?

Of all major newspapers, only the Washington Post (owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, by the way) has anything approaching true representation in its newsroom and that’s only in terms of gender. Does “representation,” in race, gender, age and geography, actually matter when reporting on America?

More people don’t trust any news source, than trust NPR or the New York Times

Theme 2: Life wasn’t always political. The politicization of news and information, of media in general, has surged to the point of being problematic. It’s a scourge like COVID-19, but one that infects our minds and shapes unhealthy, unreconciled culture. Consider, 90% of American media is owned by just six large corporations.

Think your broadcast network, your cable channel, your movie production company or even your newspaper, is an independent entity? Better check. It’s likely owned by a conglomerate, with shareholders and bottom lines. Check. Their operating model does not measure things like civic purpose or public good.

There were times when music preferences, food, entertainment and every aspect of life … weren’t shaped by politics.

Theme 3: Media CAN shape a better culture. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of feeling played. Sure, I want to understand who voted what party, and why … but not through pundits who never leave major metropoles. I’d rather learn from authentic stories about Americans; about women, immigrants, Native people, BIPOC entrepreneurs and the people of The Great Rural areas of our country.

Ask yourself: does your chosen news media really … really represent or care about our society, civic purpose, common interests, your well being, true understanding? Harvard’s Neiman Lab Media Fellow, Damagal Young, aptly said,

“Although people today hate the ‘other side’ I remain convinced that once they catch on to the game, they’ll hate being pawns even more.”

What I really want is to understand. That’s why iPondr.

iPondr.com is a media company I founded with journalists committed to public good. We’re crashing onto the scene in January, with topical programs you can enjoy and explore. And the reason we are participating in the #equalitycantwait competition; to have the resource to make it through the grueling startup phase that media companies face.

Today’s technologies allow us to speak into the civic purpose of media and have our voices heard. We can make a difference by holding to a higher media standard. Because whether urban, rural, old, young, gender this or that … religion, physical ability, mental wellness, we are all Americans.

There is so much to explore that actually matters in our daily lives. Do your media choices provide that for you?

Well, they should.