# Has mainstream or large media lost its value and integrity when it comes to the news? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 23, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mainstream-or-large-media-lost-its-value-and-integrity-when-it-comes-to-the-news/787300 "2017-05-23T20:05:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mainstream-or-large-media-lost-its-value-and-integrity-when-it-comes-to-the-news/787300/21 "2017-05-25T01:51:03Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > A couple hundred years ago the main newspaper in my city called for parliament to be burned. Is that considered integrity? Well, I dunno. What was parliament doing at the time? ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mainstream-or-large-media-lost-its-value-and-integrity-when-it-comes-to-the-news/787300/22 "2017-05-25T03:12:14Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > This is a useless question because the parameters are incredibly broad. > > Are you talking newspapers in the United States? TV Channels in the UK? > Are you including RT in the same box as 1011Now radio? > A couple hundred years ago the main newspaper in my city called for parliament to be burned. Is that considered integrity? Actually, rather a large number of media outlets are owned by the same people. No-one imagines Murdoch imposes any particular outlook on his various fiercely independent editors around the world, but they seem to independently come to the same conclusions. > [@Grestarian](#): > > You’re joking, right? > > Basic American history books are quite proud of the fact that Benjamin Franklin was (among other claims to greatness) both PostMaster and founder of the first American newspaper. The connection is kind of glossed over for the grade school kids, but was quite explicit in my college Intro to Journalism courses: Extensive material for the newspaper was acquired by reading people’s letters, which were rarely sealed at the time. Investigative journalism? I call that unwelcome prying into private affairs and the reason today that envelopes are sealable and tampering with the mail is a crime. Rather nice to imagine the jolly old fellow, dismissing his servants, drawing the shades, turning up the light by the fireplace, brewing his tea, laying out some dainties to munch, with a basket of letters to go through and settling down to read the salacious epistles of those in love — this was the 18th century and they had little else to do — not for publication but for private enjoyment all the livelong night through. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mainstream-or-large-media-lost-its-value-and-integrity-when-it-comes-to-the-news/787300/23 "2017-05-25T15:23:48Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > Actually, rather a large number of media outlets are owned by the same people. Of course they are, but the actions of news outlet A owned by Company B should not impact the perception of a different company. It’s like getting pissed at Coke because of Crystal Pepsi. > [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > No-one imagines Murdoch imposes any particular outlook on his various fiercely independent editors around the world, but they seem to independently come to the same conclusions. If no one imagines that, then they have never encountered a company. I’ll rephrase my point: getting annoyed at an industry for the actions of certain players in that industry is ignorant. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mainstream-or-large-media-lost-its-value-and-integrity-when-it-comes-to-the-news/787300/24 "2017-05-25T15:54:44Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > CNN is a piece of shit. Why so? You don’t see good journalism that much, but you’re seeing it now in the Washington Post and New York Times in the coverage of the great Russian treason scandal. Declining circulation has put some papers out of business and made others cut back on reporting staff but hopefully at least these two great giants will continue. If you want to see good broadcast journalism, tune to Rachel Maddow. Her work is splendid. I’d say there is less quality journalism out there and fake news/propaganda has exploded. The trouble is, someone who gets their information from Facebook memes, Hate Radio, and fake news looks at conventional news broadcasts and dismisses it as fake. Fake news that fits one’s preconceived notions is believed as fact while well researched and documented reports are called fake news. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-mainstream-or-large-media-lost-its-value-and-integrity-when-it-comes-to-the-news/787300.md?page=1)