News now entertains and appeals to emotions
News now entertains and appeals to emotions
Into the 1980's Americans got news uniformly through the major networks. In 1987 the FCC repealed the fairness doctrine which had encouraged media accuracy and public service. Talk radio appeared and cable networks began to compete with the major networks. The internet diminished newspaper profits decreasing budgets for investigatve reporting. News audiences diverged into subgroups many of which preferred entertainment to reality.

The need for profit now requires newspapers and television to entertain audiences and appeal to emotions. Entertainment has replaced public service.

Significant audiences now require the simplicity of entertaining stories, preferably those which demonize the opposition and which they share with the like minded. Change is almost always an appealing story. Emotions discourage thinking about whether the change is favorable or unfavorable. Complexity and critical thinking have little appeal.

Trump is the first presidential candidate to entertain and appeal primarily to fantasy and emotions. His supporters are likely to rationalize why they voted for him, but not recognize the fantasy.