Preach it:

[applegrove]

sure is funny how right wing billionaires keep buying up media outlets, converting them into right wing propaganda mills, and driving journalists into exile

— Karl Bode (@karlbode.com) 2026-06-24T14:09:53.982Z

[erronis]

1. Nice post by Jeff Barker - from the now diminished Baltimore Sun

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Baltimore_Sun

The Baltimore Sun is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news.[4]

Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publishing until May 2021, when it was acquired by Alden Global Capital, which operates its media properties through Digital First Media.[5][6][7][8][9] David D. Smith, the executive chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group, closed a deal to buy the paper on January 15, 2024.[10] Under Smith's ownership, the paper has shifted to become politically conservative,[11][12][13] and has seen large staff departures and declines in readership.[14][15]

[JMCKUSICK]

2. This may be the thing that we regret the most

Years from now, the absolute desertion of support for the newspaper industry, and we did absolutely nothing as a country to stop it.

I don't know what the solution is, other than to endow a series of non profits that could create a national/local combo that could run in all the major cities, with concentrated national bureaus and local beat writers and sports writers dedicated to the community it serves.

Just look at how audacious state governors have acted, like sanders I. Arkansas and Ron "White boots" Desantis just to name a couple, local media is a skeleton of what it used to be, and that darkness will be the end of us all as we know it.

[dave99]

3. At one time this starting United States actually supported newspapers across the small number of states.

Then came ...

[progressoid]

4. As long as right wingers keep increasing their control of media, we are screwed.

"He who controls the media controls the mind."

[BonnieJW]

5. Not anymore

Now it's podcasts. The majority of Americans watch YouTube podcasts and other sources rather than TV news or newspapers.

[progressoid]

6. That's not really reassuring

Last edited Thu Jun 25, 2026, 12:46 AM - Edit history (1)

Since the #1 podcast is Joe Rogan.