A Federalist reporter and a Newsweek journalist sat down for a conversation and the result is an insightful critique of the news media. Emily Jashinsky and Batya Ungar-Sargon discussed the changing patterns of news reporting and consumption, concluding that today’s highly-educated journalists are out of touch with “middle America.” Ungar-Sargon argues that political polarization is really an elite phenomenon, as working class communities generally don’t “sort” into Red or Blue.

She suggests the presence of television sets in US homes from the 1960s, meant people were less interested in getting news from newspapers. To keep their readership, newspapers moved away from straight reportage to commentary, telling readers what the news meant. The digital age has intensified this trend with publications drawing avid readers according to social status and education. While media bias may appear political,  Ungar-Sargon says that if you break it down, the divide is more about class.