Realistic media expectations
In alot of journalism, in fact any media, - from the patriarchal institutions to humble bloggers - the content intent is to “give the people what they like” (or at least what we, knowing better, think they should know). This by definition means doing a daily job of reinforcing people’s existing beliefs about their world, for instance as a place that is intrinsically untrustworthy and deficient or beautiful and abundant. Publications whose funding are agenda-laden are frontally purposed with a belief-reinforcing role in the public space.
Understanding this, we won’t make the mistake of expecting anything different from media that reinforce fear-based beliefs that divide rather than create community. Any more than we would expect rain from a rock.
