Thomas Jefferson saw a free press as absolutely vital for democracy, famously stating that he would prefer “newspapers without a government“ to a government without newspapers. He believed “an informed populace, even with often-false news, was crucial for self-governance and keeping rulers accountable
Really sharp observation on how Sinclair and Nexstar's combined reach basically creates a duopoly that Jefferson would've seen as antithetical to press freedom. When two conglomerates control 60-70% of households, the "marketplace of ideas" starts looking more like a company store. I've noticedthis in local news across different markets where the same talking points get repeated verbatim. The irony is both claim to defend free speech while homogenizing what actually gets aired.
Brilliant how the "two bakeries selling the same bread" frame cuts through all the usual media criticsm noise. When 100% coverage is controlled by just two players, Jefferson's vision of competing viewpoints collpases into what's basically a coordinated filter. I've been tracking local news consolidation for a few years and the homogenization is real but easy to miss until someone states it this plainly.
Really sharp observation on how Sinclair and Nexstar's combined reach basically creates a duopoly that Jefferson would've seen as antithetical to press freedom. When two conglomerates control 60-70% of households, the "marketplace of ideas" starts looking more like a company store. I've noticedthis in local news across different markets where the same talking points get repeated verbatim. The irony is both claim to defend free speech while homogenizing what actually gets aired.
Brilliant how the "two bakeries selling the same bread" frame cuts through all the usual media criticsm noise. When 100% coverage is controlled by just two players, Jefferson's vision of competing viewpoints collpases into what's basically a coordinated filter. I've been tracking local news consolidation for a few years and the homogenization is real but easy to miss until someone states it this plainly.
Thanks for the comment. These are the things that keep writers charged, and god knows we need charging in these circumstances...