Why you should stop reading the press - and what you can do instead
Polarization of political debates, pointless arguments, biased information... There are many problem with the business model of the press. Thankfully, there are alternatives to stay informed and learn
Before I started getting involved in politics, around five years ago, I was an avid reader of the press. French large publications such as Le Monde, or Le Monde Diplomatique were my favorite. I would follow, like, repost any article that I found interesting, sometimes without even taking the time to read the actual content of a piece.
But the more I read, I started to realise that I did not know more about the topics I read. I did not become more insightful, more aware, or cleverer about what happened. I started to question the interest of the traditional press.
This realisation changed my opinion about the news. Let me share with you my thoughts on the matter.
The problems with the traditional press
Polarization and confirmation of bias
Admit it or not: you probably already chose a place in the political landscape. You have an opinion on liberalism, capitalism, the direction of society, or whether and how best to implement the green transition… When you are faced with a piece of news that confirms your opinion, you will take it as an example of being correct about your assessment. You decide to share it.
But then your friend from a different political background will find ways to disprove your argument. The journalist is biased, the example cited is irrelevant, or the circumstances are too remote to matter, your friend says. Your reply: how can your interlocutor misunderstand such an important clue?
The debates that follow will not bring you closer to the truth. Quite the opposite. And that is what the newspaper needs: more debate, more views, more paper sold, more money in. You argue, they win.
Most newspapers these days chose a side in the political landscape anyway. A left-leaning publication will find ways to discredit the bad business owners, while their counterparts on the other side will be quick to pinpoint the contradictions of the other camp.
The newspaper does the arguing for you. It gives you the arguments to battle with your opponents, cementing a readership and the revenues associated with it.
It’s the business, stupid…
Don’t be fooled: the press is a business. And businesses have a simple rule: they must be profitable. The modern world challenged the traditional business model to inform and report, and forced every major newspaper to switch to a business of selling paper and attention.
With the advent of social media and the economy of information, redactions started asking their journalist for reaction-triggering stories, rather than serious inquiries, because they realized that it sells more than factual, moderate stories.
An article on AI in the general press, for instance, will always make you believe that machines will rule the world in ten, five, or two years. A more honest approach would teach you how, in a certain field, a new program will transform the ways of working for a carefully-selected array of workers, in the next five to ten years, before being supplanted by another. Not really something to be excited about, right?
What about journalists, then?
Journalism being a job, journalists had to abide. One has to deliver… or take the door.
Of course, there are a few committed journalists and reporters left out there. But you won’t find them in your traditional paper. They have their own blog and publish in various - and often obscure - redactions. But even this endangered species cannot do without the simple fact that it is all a business. They only try to make it more ethical, perhaps.
Now, we citizens can regret this situation and cry against the dangerous over-marketisation of our society. I chose another approach: I see the opportunities it brings. That one now has the tool to forge one’s own opinion by oneself. That citizens can learn to defend themselves against opinion-making operations. That with a little effort, everyone can build his own library of knowledge and ideas, without the interested help of opinion-crafting news empires.
And now, let’s explore how you can do it too.
How to expand your mind
Trust your friends and relations to do the screening for you. Your friends are getting informed too. They read pieces, news, and papers. They probably are interested in a niche topic.
Listen to them. Let them select for you the best that they’ve read. I’m interested in Eu political news. Do you know how many outlets write about these topics? I’d better let my friends and connections tweet about the best of them rather than read everything they publish.
Look for other formats, like podcasts or longreads. Some newspapers did not accept the shift to a sell-paper business model, and they tried on different formats before they could find the one that interests readers, bring money, and is ethical. It’s not always perfect, as these papers often trade impartiality for a few clicks, but at least they propose refreshing formats. Longreads, podcasts, in-depth video reportages are mediums you should explore.
Read books. What is a book? A medium filled with carefully-crafted sentences, that are here both to educate and to please. There are plenty of insightful and beautifully written books out there. Just focus on a topic that interests you: climate change, economics, history, etc., and look for the most renowned specialists in the field. Chances are that she wrote a book. Go read it.
Follow and support experts. Some people developed such deep knowledge of a topic that they can discourse about it for hours and can write about it for years. And with every piece, podcast, or video, their followers learn more and develop an understanding too.
This is why I started the beubble. I am interested in French and European politics. That’s what I think about all the time, that’s what my friends ask me about. I devour political news and debates. I read books and watch documentaries. I participate in political meetings, and I even made it my career.
Today, you too can contribute to my work. You can choose, today, to support me, Alexandre, the writer of these opinion pieces that you have been receiving now for a week. From 7 euros a month, you can support a passionate creator to continue and do the things he likes.
From today, you can upgrade your subscription to a paid subscription.
Thank you all for reading me over the course of this week. Many thanks to those who will decide to support me. It means a lot 🙏. See you next week for more stories.