That’s exactly the problem. People focusing on and combing through the comments for information (gossip) instead of even clicking through and reading the story, which has been sourced, reported, edited and fact-checked before publication, and using that information to make a decision. Click-throughs on social media are abysmal. Like sub-10% at most news outlets. But with so few people actually reading, there sure are a lot of opinions about how bad reporters are at their jobs.

I’ve worked with small-town news outlets my whole life. Like, really small town. Like “here’s the new list of residential septic permits the county commission discussed today.” But sure, lump us all in with the cabal of baby-eating liberal medial elites out to brainwash you.

Is there fuckery in corporate news? Sure, probably. But most people who work in journalism do it as a public service, because if there aren’t people working 16hr days for shit wages willing to sit through local government meetings, rural areas become misinformed, gossip- and conspiracy-ridden news deserts.

Remember, all politics is local. All news is local. The rest is just noise that for the most part doesn’t and never will affect your day-to-day. I haven’t watched cable TV or network news in decades. Helps keep the blood pressure low. There’s enough to worry about at home.