seems to show the internet/media's ability to influence opinions is much smaller then they predict.
They were wildly successful at influencing opinion, just not in the directions assumed. The media narrative doesn't attempt (or refuses) to acknowledge the non-reductive motivation and positions of people that disagree with the implied national status quo of their coverage.
I still maintain that the major news organs would have stopped Trump's candidacy in it's tracks if they had focused campaign coverage around concepts of governance, civics and leadership instead of the horse race and clickbait hot topics.
They should have stopped his candidacy in its tracks back in 2012 when he started [his involvement with] the Birther bullshit rather than giving him credulous coverage.
Or any of the many times he stiffed his suppliers. Or when he defrauded hundreds of people with Trump University.
Or, y'know, any one of a hundred times they should have reported on him properly rather than ruffling his hair and calling him a playful scamp.
[Edited to clarify that Trump didn't start the Birther bullshit since that was 2008-09 and he didn't get involved until 2011-12]
Serious policy discussions that require thought and making legitimate cost/benefit tradeoffs don't generate traffic. In the original Men In Black, Will Smith asks Tommy Lee Jones why they don't admit there are aliens, TLJ's response:
> A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow.
They were wildly successful at influencing opinion, just not in the directions assumed. The media narrative doesn't attempt (or refuses) to acknowledge the non-reductive motivation and positions of people that disagree with the implied national status quo of their coverage.
I still maintain that the major news organs would have stopped Trump's candidacy in it's tracks if they had focused campaign coverage around concepts of governance, civics and leadership instead of the horse race and clickbait hot topics.