As I wrote at length in 2016, I believe it to be important that we consider words, and especially prominent journalistic institutions’ words “of record” as a sort of currency and, even as the world sadly (but relatedly) seems to be reconsidering the U.S. dollar as its standard reserve currency, occasionally appraise their actual value.
Just as America has retained an ability to print new, even if ever less valuable, cash to accommodate political objectives, absent competitors, cabals of dominant news corporations seem to have demonstrated an almost endless ability to print new histories to accommodate their pocketbooks; and, even as they’ve held staunchly to their fraught ties to the American stock market, I wonder whether their status as the country’s (and even the world’s) reserve verbal currency needs reconsideration. Do not both problems arguably stem from the merger of the journalism sector with Wall Street? Sometimes I wonder, why not just cut out the middle man and let news corporations directly print the money that funds the stories that gain them the most clicks and views? Sure, there are plenty of dissenting views within their ranks, but all companies would need to do is spend enough money on NDAs to purchase these individuals’ constitutionally-protected rights to speak. Oh wait, they already do. Then, why not just go ahead and splurge on setting out to buy the rest of the country’s bill of rights for convenience’s sake in advance? Oh wait. Media corporations are not like other organizations, and I believe anyone who is glad America transitioned from having a King George to a President George could be expected to agree such companies should be prevented from purchasing the constitutionally-protected rights of whisteblowers.
I realize I have been making this point for a long time now (and it does feel a bit like being on a sort of roundabout), but I do not see how it is any less essential today than it was eight years ago, or even back when, in working on CNN and other productions, I felt compelled to think hard about what structural adjustments could be made to help restore our country’s journalism sector.
Even if it is true only corporate news outlets are scheduled to host this year’s presidential debates, I still hope there will be room for broader and more inclusive dialogue on important topics elsewhere.
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