While I have already had my share of exposure to the media world through social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok, I have learned so much this summer as Ben’s intern.
I already knew that news anchors and journalists are going to have their biases and they might shine through when sharing the newest stories. Ben told me that everyone wants to be the first to break a story, and while that makes sense, I have learned that this mindset leaves plenty of room for error.
Did anyone notice the quick shift a few weeks ago from “Joe Biden is just as sharp as ever and everyone needs to stop doubting him” to “Joe Biden is unfit to be president again and he needs to be replaced”? To me, it almost seems as though a memo goes out explicitly stating what the “correct” take is, and then everyone falls in line. It is like, once journalists reach a certain level of fame, they no longer have their own opinions and instead, they just start mirroring everyone else in the room. It is as if you cannot have a serious platform (on either side) without sacrificing individuality and authenticity.
I completely understand that sometimes people need to read the room and bite their tongue, but it will always be suspicious to me how rarely I see a CNN or Fox News host with a hot take. Similarly, it seems like Democratic politicians don’t want to take a stand against other Democratic politicians and vice versa with Republican candidates. When they do, they are accused of being a Biden or Trump sympathizer.
The thing is, there is nothing wrong with disagreeing, especially when it comes to policies that will impact the entire country. The only way to grow and improve is to be challenged, and don’t we want to improve our country?
As Ben’s intern, I have seen the work he puts into each show. Ben spends hours each day browsing news sites and investigating new stories. When you listen to the information he provides each day, it is hard to believe that Ben does it all by himself. Not only does he touch on the big stories that everyone is discussing such as Kamala Harris becoming the democratic nominee or the conflicts in Palestine, but he shares stories that mainstream media companies don’t, such as the John Deer Union story or the idea of stock buybacks.
This leaves me to wonder how Ben is able to find all these stories independently, but CNN or Fox News can’t seem to break away from the same big three stories.
Its almost like mainstream news companies don’t care about providing their listeners with real news and rather care about pushing an agenda.
Today, I briefly discussed my opinions about media given all that I have learned this summer, and I also finished my conversation about mental health. Listen to today’s show by clicking the player below.
[Spreaker: Outside The Box]
