I took a few minutes and read a couple of articles. Here’s one that aligns with my point, my memory (of the 1960s, watching the evening news on ABC, CBS, and NBC), and my belief.
I’m sure it’s easy to dismiss it as the opinion of just one academic, but …
I also mentioned the Fairness Doctrine. Its repeal in 1987, midst the peak of the commodification of TV news, threw another napalm-coated log on the fire.
I don’t think it was … ‘always thus.’
The term “yellow journalism” dates back to the 1890s but the concept well predates.
More on its origins in America anyway.
It goes back to Ben Franklin at least.
The history of yellow journalism isn’t really relevant to what’s been happening to TV and online news over the past few decades. It’s a different phenomenon.
@DavidNRockies’s article is worth reading.
The only way I could envision watching BOTH town halls is by turning it into a drinking game. Take a sip every time Trump mentions Hillary, Russia, Covid, Hunter, China or states that his Presidency did a great job. Take a sip every time Biden mentions Obama, Covid, Putin, Protest or anything to do with Latinos or a foreign language.
Otherwise, you are either a journalist, a masochist or completely dead inside.
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If things were only up to Trump’s principles, he’d be very easy to predict. And to some extent, he is very predictable. He seeks flattery, avoids shame and punishment, grabs everything that isn’t nailed down. It scarcely needs mentioning that he’s a profligate liar, and his words are reliably hide the truth.
What makes Trump unpredictable, to the extent that he is unpredictable, is that he has no power of his own. He gets his power from other people and entities. He depends on them and is in debt to them. Their principles are no deeper or more virtuous than Trump’s, but they have agendas and priorities that are only partially visible to us.
Trump is only done when they decide he’s done. Not a minute sooner nor later.