[thebordella]

I rarely post, so apologies if this has been posted here before, but this excerpt from a letter by Thomas Jefferson in 1807 seems relevant. In short, the problems described about modern news media are entirely true, but - frustratingly - not at all novel.

"To your request of my opinion of the manner in which a newspaper should be conducted so as to be most useful, I should answer ‘by restraining it to true facts & sound principles only.’ yet I fear such a paper would find few subscribers. it is a melancholy truth that a suppression of the press could not more compleatly deprive the nation of it’s benefits, than is done by it’s abandoned prostitution to falsehood. nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle. the real extent of this state of misinformation is known only to those who are in situations to confront facts within their knolege with the lies of the day. I really look with commiseration over the great body of my fellow citizens, who, reading newspapers, live & die in the belief that they have known something of what has been passing in the world in their time: whereas the accounts they have read in newspapers are just as true a history of any other period of the world as of the present, except that the real names of the day are affixed to their fables. general facts may indeed be collected from them, such as that Europe is now at war, that Bonaparte has been a successful warrior, that he has subjected a great portion of Europe to his will &c &c. but no details can be relied on. I will add that the man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them; inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods & errors. he who reads nothing will still learn the great facts, and the details are all false."

https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5...

[unityByFreedom]

Yes, history repeats itself. However I guess the person who "never looks into a newspaper" remains informed through people who do read it at least from time to time. I would wonder why "Europe is now at war", even if it's speculation, since that sort of thing is often highly subjective (see: Armenia and Azerbaijan right now). IMO, getting "nearer to truth" is possible through collective effort. If we all make no effort at this, then it is simple for a despot to take over.

Democracy's burden is that some responsibility is placed upon all of us to contribute to sensible policy through discussion and voting. It is on us to interpret which part of history lines up with today.

And I'd argue reading opinions is helpful too to practice learning how to influence others. One take away from Jefferson's opinion here is "don't listen to them, listen to me."