Once, newspapers and broadcasters accepted that there had to be a public service element in their statements which meant trying to be objective, presenting both sides of any controversial topic and as many important facts as practicable.
Not now: blatant political bias and propaganda, along with the sensationalising of trivia and double standards — in NZ’s case almost exclusively for the Left block — has replaced it. Editorialising by ‘the political editor’ either in front of the camera or behind it is de rigueur and the consequences — well, our readers well know them.
It isn’t just journalism standards that have declined this century. Maybe there have been some improvements in technology but in most other areas ideas have become superficial and degraded . Children’s behaviour has deteriorated , schools’ standards have worsened , there is a worsening of the socioeconomic gap, more junk food , ugly architecture , people behave more brutishly and are less tolerant of one another.
Western Culture is under attack . Truth and honesty seem no longer valued.
No argument, but for smart people and those with megabucks (and live to keep expanding their perception of power) it is creating unprecedented opportunities imho. Little happens by accident in this ‘modern’ communication world. The ‘ordinary person’ has never had access to such a gigantic wealth of data, but in many ways, mankind has risen to unprecedented levels of ignorance.
Good old healthy sceptisism and a questioning mind have been actively discouraged by ‘the system’ worldwide.
Why is this happening? – as usual, follow the money.
Thnking people in increasing numbers, no longer expose themselves to mainstream media (propoganda) on a regular basis. Those involved in the perpetuation of this ‘new’ way, now simply have lost any ability to understand alternatives – historically proven ways of society to operate in a healthy (and ‘kind’?) manner.
Although not a religious person (it is it’s own brand of brainwashing), I can see religion increasing in relevance because there’s little left to fill that vaccuum in our lives. Trust in all traditional institutions has been largely destroyed (reflect on the last 10 years in NZ) and now the the brainwashed drive the brainwashing process. Question anything and you risk becoming a social outcast, Sound familiar?
Adolf was a puppy dog compared with the modern day power brokers.
Climate change, covid anyone?
Good analysis of today society. My how times have changed in the last thirty odd years here in New Zealand and now we have radical racist Maori demanding they want a country back that was never theirs in the first place. We certainly lived the best era of the fifties through to the late eighties.