The problem with today’s news is not just what gets covered but where it comes from. A handful of big cities dominate the story, shaping the national conversation with a narrow and often skewed perspective. I’ve talked to journalists who admit they have little connection to everyday America. They live in bubbles, far from the lives of middle-class families, rural communities, and small towns. Their view is limited and often clueless about the real struggles millions face.
Travel abroad and listen to foreign news and you quickly see how badly American media misses the mark. Financial press and mainstream outlets seem trapped in a world of political theater, completely detached from the complex realities of other countries. American news has become painfully myopic focusing on political drama at the expense of meaningful reporting. It is no surprise this has only gotten worse over time.
Technology promised a revolution flooding us with information from all directions but instead it hollowed out journalism. We are drowning in data but starved for truth. The industry has fractured into two relentless echo chambers each broadcasting their party’s talking points nonstop. Facts bend to fit agendas and nuance is thrown away.
This tribalism is crushing traditional media’s revenue causing massive losses and layoffs. Meanwhile podcasts raw and unfiltered and closer to real conversations are booming. People want authenticity and stories that connect beyond politics and sound bites. The media landscape is shifting but the core problem remains: too few voices control too much of what we see and hear leaving much of America’s story untold.