Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy SOLVED! FROM THE ARCHIVES - "Of Horse Races and Men: The Result of Decades of Media Atrophy (aka: Uncertain and Powerless"
Jan 26, 2026
A panel dissects how horse-race media coverage and profit-driven news trivialize real human impacts. They trace corporate TV’s rise, the daily grind that favors spectacle, and how that leaves people vulnerable to demagoguery. Discussion touches on media normalization of dangerous rhetoric, the symbolic versus factual belief gap, and rebuilding community to counter misinformation and powerlessness.
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Horse Race Coverage Crowds Out Substance
- Newsrooms prioritize political tactics over substantive issue reporting, producing 'horse race' coverage.
- That structure discourages deep explanations and narrows public understanding of real problems.
Time Pressure Shapes Shallow Reporting
- Daily content pressure forces journalists to simplify and lean on familiar political narratives.
- This time scarcity makes deep mastery rare and incentivizes superficial analysis.
Profit Motives Push News Toward Junk
- Profit motives and audience metrics push outlets toward entertainment-style 'junk media.'
- Capitalist incentives make investigative, long-form journalism financially unattractive.
