Opinion Inside the collapsing U.S. political-media-industrial-complex

[panem-et-circenses]

"The 2024 presidential primary was supposed to lure audiences back to news after several years of flagging interest in following Donald Trump’s eventful departure from office. News outlets prepared accordingly: NBC brought in a new face for its flagship political show Meet The Press, CNN leadership debuted a new primetime evening lineup with the assumption that they’d need heavy-hitting campaign coverage.

Trump fulfilled his duties, roaring back at full force with rallies in front of thousands of rapt supporters and deploying his time-honored campaign tactics, which largely center on bullying his opponents. But even though he appears poised to potentially lock up the nomination this week on a bombastic campaign laced with the kind of once-shocking remarks that used to spur highly-rated days-long news cycles, the evidence continues to show one thing: many fewer people care."

Television ratings for the Iowa caucuses were terrible:CNN averaged 688K total viewers with 194K in the 25-54 demo sought by advertisers in the primetime hours of 8 to 11 pm, while MSNBC averaged 1.15 million total viewers, with 143K in the demo. Fox couldn’t crack 2.8 million viewers, with 402K in the demo.

Trump, too, has reached the campaign equivalent of an aging rock band touring on a new album: He’ll try some new stuff, but largely just plays the hits the crowd came to see.

"Media executives are beginning to reckon with the reality that the 2024 race won’t bring a “Trump bump” to save ad budgets or bring back readers, listeners, and viewers. In a public interview at Davos last week, the new Washington Post CEO, Will Lewis said the publication that boomed during the first Trump era will now be looking for subscribers elsewhere."

Semafor

Forgetting the underlying shift in the way we watch media, I think the amount of disregard for the POTUS run is a bit alarming. Most people you talk to who aren't partisans say the same thing: 'the election is grim -- two geriatrics'. That is bad for Biden, sure, but I wonder what the turnout for the election will be, because people just aren't interested this election cycle, which, as you know, is bad for America -- we already don't care what happens outside of our bubble. Biden is invisible, Trump is boring, and we're all looking ahead.

It doesn't help that people don't trust or have faith in journalists anymore.

 

[SakurabasEar]

I like the current landscape of subbing to many sources with X and podcast catchers much better. I feel more aware than my boomer grandparents who parroted O'Reilly for like a decade

 

[mkess101]

"The 2024 presidential primary was supposed to lure audiences back to news after several years of flagging interest in following Donald Trump’s eventful departure from office. News outlets prepared accordingly: NBC brought in a new face for its flagship political show Meet The Press, CNN leadership debuted a new primetime evening lineup with the assumption that they’d need heavy-hitting campaign coverage.

Trump fulfilled his duties, roaring back at full force with rallies in front of thousands of rapt supporters and deploying his time-honored campaign tactics, which largely center on bullying his opponents. But even though he appears poised to potentially lock up the nomination this week on a bombastic campaign laced with the kind of once-shocking remarks that used to spur highly-rated days-long news cycles, the evidence continues to show one thing: many fewer people care."





"Media executives are beginning to reckon with the reality that the 2024 race won’t bring a “Trump bump” to save ad budgets or bring back readers, listeners, and viewers. In a public interview at Davos last week, the new Washington Post CEO, Will Lewis said the publication that boomed during the first Trump era will now be looking for subscribers elsewhere."

Semafor

Forgetting the underlying shift in the way we watch media, I think the amount of disregard for the POTUS run is a bit alarming. Most people you talk to who aren't partisans say the same thing: 'the election is grim -- two geriatrics'. That is bad for Biden, sure, but I wonder what the turnout for the election will be, because people just aren't interested this election cycle, which, as you know, is bad for America -- we already don't care what happens outside of our bubble. Biden is invisible, Trump is boring, and we're all looking ahead.

It doesn't help that people don't trust or have faith in journalists anymore.

I know it's maybe a minor distinction, but I think it's as much fatigue as boredom. The human psyche is affected by constantly being bombarded with contention and animosity. And politics now has so damn much of those that even people who might still be interested or find it compelling...just need to focus on things that aren't constantly saturated with negativity.

 

[kahiljabroni]

How the hell will they rig the election again if nobody watches?

 

[nostradumbass]

Even a good chunk of the numbers they did do, which are lower than a 12 year with a video game unboxing video, are probably people watching to laugh at them. They've done such a fantastic discrediting themselves for years, it's not surprising that nobody "in the demo" is firing up CNN, MSNBC or Fox.

Having a grown man bring tissues onto the set so he can burst into tears just kind of wears off after half your staff has already fake cried on air. Did it not occur to them that maybe they jumped the shark with the constant sanctimony?

 

[koquerelle]

I think the amount of disregard for the POTUS run is a bit alarming.

The elections are still far away and we already know who's going to represent both parties. Television networks would like to drum up interest, but it's hard under these circumstances. Should I feel bad for them?

 

[NickNick]

I wonder how much of it is boomers dying off. As a millennial in my 30s, none of my friends have cable, let alone watch any major news network. I doubt it's due to people caring less, more that sitting around watching the news all day is a very old person thing. This should be a good thing, I think everyone would be better off without these "news" networks.

 

[Lead]

I wonder how much of it is boomers dying off. As a millennial in my 30s, none of my friends have cable, let alone watch any major news network. I doubt it's due to people caring less, more that sitting around watching the news all day is a very old person thing. This should be a good thing, I think everyone would be better off without these "news" networks.

Yea, if I had to guess, it’s just the younger demographic consuming news through different platforms. That could be a concern in itself but the writing has been on the wall for a decade now cable network tv is going to die with the boomer generation.

 

[Whippy McGee]

The MSM lost the trust of Americans. They are about as welcomed as Herpes. They did it to themselves.

 

[tenniswhiz]

Yea, if I had to guess, it’s just the younger demographic consuming news through different platforms. That could be a concern in itself but the writing has been on the wall for a decade now cable network tv is going to die with the boomer generation.

Well, they could have changed their business model.
Instead of offering 2 options:
1. 500 channels for $150/month (you’ll only watch 5-10 channels)
2. 0 channels for $0/month
So, what will it be?

 

[N13]

The elections are still far away and we already know who's going to represent both parties. Television networks would like to drum up interest, but it's hard under these circumstances. Should I feel bad for them?

Do we? Biden is going to be replaced by Michael Obama. Trump to name RFKJr as VP.

The tv is going to go nuts as this and other events unfold.

 

[Fox by the Sea]

well there's not one american channel i can think of that would be trustworthy.
we're not doing so good in europe either.
media has been coopted by political interests and whenever i watch (which is very rarely) i get a feeling that i am being lied to.

 

[PEB]

well there's not one american channel i can think of that would be trustworthy.
we're not doing so good in europe either.
media has been coopted by political interests and whenever i watch (which is very rarely) i get a feeling that i am being lied to.

The media has been vary favorable to Trump. MSRBC been around the clock with Trump coverage. MSRBC parent company Comcast is owned partially by the Robert's family major Republican donors. Brian Roberts has made trips to Trump fund raising drives.

They will always do the same thing we cannot cover his speeches but then spent hours breathless coverage. You know it's all about the advertising to get viewers.

Si the idea he or Republicans have been getting the shaft by the supposedly left wing media it's nonsense. MSRBC been spending a lot of time talking about Biden age even when positive tends to lean negative.

I don't think I have heard the number 86 mentioned in an hour by hour as I heard on MSRBC. In reference to Biden age at the end of his second term. Yet 90 year old Chuck Grassley hardly gets a mention.

 

[Super_Nintendo]

if they had a crumb of respect for their viewers they'd be doing a lot better. they did this themselves.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

I wonder how much of it is boomers dying off. As a millennial in my 30s, none of my friends have cable, let alone watch any major news network. I doubt it's due to people caring less, more that sitting around watching the news all day is a very old person thing. This should be a good thing, I think everyone would be better off without these "news" networks.

I think it s a double edged sword, because on the flipside nowadays people tend to manufacture a reality for themselves by subbing to channels that comfort their world views.

 

[Natural Order]

which are lower than a 12 year with a video game unboxing video

This is both hilariously sad and accurate at the same time. What a time to be alive.