Ben Shapiro appeared at a Congressional hearing last week to discuss media censorship and the demonetizing practices of advertising agencies. One of the key issues raised was the tactics of third-party groups such as Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), who blacklist companies, publications and platforms to dissuade advertisers. GARM and similar activist groups flag articles or posts they judge to be racist or anti-LGBT, “climate change deniers”, misinformation and all the rest.
The New York Post says it has been a target for boycotts instigated by self-appointed censors, leading to loss of revenue. “The extent to which GARM has organized its trade association and coordinates actions that rob consumers of choices is likely illegal under the antitrust laws and threatens fundamental American freedoms,” the Republican-led Congressional panel report said. You may remember the Post’s bombshell reporting about Hunter Biden’s laptop was heavily censored, right before a presidential election.
But the push to gatekeep information is a global one and a joint effort by several large entities connected with the World Economic Forum and other powerful organizations. Conservative U.K. publication UnHerd found their advertising revenue was far less than projected, eventually uncovering an active campaign by the Global Disinformation Index and others to throttle their patronage. Elon Musk posted that the European Commission said X needed to quietly censor posts or face fines. (Seasoned investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger promptly called the Commission’s leadership a “totalitarian menace”. No lie detected.)
Apart from the cabal of groups actively trying to defund independent and contrarian voices out of existence, corporate media are also cutting corners when it comes to careful reporting. Veteran comlumnist George Will noted that there is no risk for journalists who say outlandish things or hide the truth in pursuit of a partisan message. In a recent piece at the Washington Post, he wrote about the lack of reporting on President Biden’s decline over the last few years: “That the sheep are still on the air, dispensing undiminished certitudes, is evidence of two things. That — outside of a few bastions of meritocracy and accountability, such as professional sports — there is no penalty for failure in contemporary America.”
That can’t be good. But it is reality. Think about the biggest story last week – it’s good to be cautious when a news story is unfolding, but…
So there are some things here you can’t do much about. International disinformation cabals? Probably above most of our pay grades. But media discernment can be done by anyone. Reading widely, reserving judgement and applying wisdom are required more than ever when engaging with the news.
But here is something you might be able to do. Consider supporting local news. On a recent podcast, former Fox journalist Chris Stirewalt spoke about the many ways the collapse of local news outlets has affected communities. First, it has turned all our attention to national and foreign stories: “It doesn't touch your life but national news takes those stories and drags them into let's talk about something that doesn't affect you, that you can't do anything about but it's probably going to make you mad.” That can’t be good.
But there is another effect. If journalists “aren’t attending school board meetings or Town Council meetings where the business of government is done,” the lack of accountability can actually cost a community dearly. Stirewalt says that research into towns that lost a newspaper showed that “the price of lending for those municipalities went up. A town's borrowing costs can go up because the watchdogs - local journalists - are no longer watching. Over time…poor management and corruption may creep in and because of all of those things, your creditworthiness goes down.” He says the economic cost for bond issuance in a community where a newspaper closed was significant.
Could you start a small publication? Engage in citizen journalism? Something to think about…