The purchase of The Baltimore Sun is further proof that conservative billionaires understand the power of media control. Why don’t their liberal counterparts get it?

The purchase of The Baltimore Sun is further proof that conservative billionaires understand the power of media control. Why don’t their liberal counterparts get it?

You have no doubt seen the incredibly depressing news about the incredibly depressing purchase of The Baltimore Sun by the incredibly depressing David Smith, chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group, the right-wing media empire best known for gobbling up local television news operations and forcing local anchors to spout toxic Big Brother gibberish like this.

The Sun was once a great newspaper. I remember reading, once upon a time, that it had sprung more foreign correspondents into action across the planet than any American newspaper save The New York Times and The Washington Post. It had eight foreign bureaus at one point, all of which were shuttered by the Tribune Company by 2006. But the Sun’s real triumphs came in covering its gritty, organic city. And even well after its glory days, it still won Pulitzers—as recently as 2020, for taking down corrupt Mayor Catherine Pugh, who served a stretch in prison thanks to the paper.

  • rivermonster@lemmy.world
    11·
    9 months ago

    The worst crackdown in recent memory on welfare happened under Clinton and the neolibs. I think both of these groups have examples of doing the things you’ve listed.

    I appreciate your insights but respectfully disagree as there are examples of your listed priorities across party lines.

    The end part is right. The same billionaires and companies pay both sides campaign bills. Which is why they’re basically the same economically.

    • theneverfox@pawb.socialEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      You’re correct about Clinton, but that’s not the norm. Normally, they go one step forward one step back, but they’re happy to cut welfare quietly

      But today, Republicans don’t really go after welfare anymore - they try to pass corporate welfare and slash regulation instead

      “They’re the same” is a shortcut our minds take to make thinking simpler. It skips thinking about a bunch of details.

      They’re similar, but not the same - the subtleties matter. Even if you want to replace them all, it’s important to understand them at a level deeper than “they’re all corporate shills”.

      You have to be able to communicate about them clearly and be able to evaluate fresh faces, otherwise you’re just generally complaining about how things suck