In college I worked at the Harvard Crimson - Harvard’s student newspaper.
I saw first-hand how bias infects media.
In the daily grind of news and editorial publishing, it was easy to have persistent blindspots and groupthink.
I was at a liberal college, in a profession that attracts liberals, trying to climb a ladder that rewards liberalism.
My status at the organization influenced my dating life and access to social events.
My post-grad career opportunities were influenced by my standing at the Crimson.
The financials of the paper were dependent on being aligned with the worldviews of advertisers and readers.
My morals were influenced by it too, especially as a malleable college student.
All groups have some shared morality.
You can deviate from that morality to a degree, but if you deviate too much, you become incompatible with the group and either removed or self-select out.
So the incentives to be biased were overwhelming - and all of this was before Trump appeared and polarization increased even more.
This isn’t particular to the Crimson (which to be clear, I enjoyed working at).
It’s not particular to leftist media. Right-wing media is biased too. It’s just not as dominant or cohesive because leftism is more collectivist.
It’s not particular to journalists.
It’s human nature.
Most journalists are not reporting narratives they know to be false.
Most do not have answers they are hiding.
Most are just not asking the right questions.
Because asking those questions when the answer might clash with your group is high stakes: personally, professionally, and socially.
It’s something I have to grapple with daily myself as this influencer/thought leadership role I’ve taken on becomes a bigger part of my life.
When I say things critical of Trump, they don’t go viral, I don’t get as much money, and I don’t get as many opportunities.
Most journalists are immersed in an ocean of bias, and don’t know it.
This is true of nearly all people, across the ideological spectrum.
This doesn’t mean they don’t have a responsibility to overcome their bias.
They do. That’s their job.
And not fulfilling that responsibility is incompetence.
But rarely is it malice.
At least, it’s not what I consider malice, which is saying things you know not to be true or omitting things you know to be true.
Yes, there are malicious people in media with outsized influence.
They are real, and they are rare.
Attributing most mainstream media bias to incompetence over malice doesn’t change the problem.
But it does change how you perceive the solution.
And part of the solution is to:
1. Vary your information diet.
2. Practice thinking critically. Writing helps. Taking a logic course helps too. We should teach this in schools - how to think critically.
3. Commit to a lifelong path of intentional growth and self-awareness.
4. Master your emotions.
5. Have the humility to realize the bias you see in the media exists in you too.
It’s Liberation Day: when Trump tariffs take effect.
Tariffs are part of a larger strategy:
1. Remove income tax under 150k
2. Raise a trillion in revenue
3. Cut a trillion in spending—DOGE
4. Bring back manufacturing
Don’t obsess over each chess move.
Watch the whole board.
New York Times quietly admits COVID deaths were overcounted by 'almost one-third'
“The official number is probably an exaggeration because it includes some people who had [the] virus when they died even though it was not the underlying cause of death."
https://t.co/dxH9OLgb7v
@chriscfore Fans come when owners have a good product on the field. They trade away their stars way too much. Grew up going to their games. Won’t do it now.
1/ Thread on Manufacturing Athletes
If I had a kid today, I’d have him/her play every sport, get them lessons for each sport ~10yo to teach them a solid foundation and get myself info to teach if asked for help.
Then, I’d stop going to the lessons and just let them play. 👇
Are you following story in LA, where medical leaders have been caught on tape saying 90% of COVID hospitalizations are folks testing positive after admission for something else…
Yet local leaders ignore this & push mask mandates?
By @DrScottBalsitis+
https://t.co/e8aCHkYqVv