When news becames a revenue generating 24/7 entertainment channel
When a Rachel Maddow or Bill O'Reilly type talking heads were considered "journalist" and not seen as actors pretending to be journalists.
When newspapers and magazines lost so much revenue to the internet they could no longer pay for investigative reporting and instead started relying on unnamed sources that were often other less reputable news outlets or even blogs.
When an Alex Jones or a Glen Beck are elevated to the status of peers to Rachel Maddow or Bill O'Reilly (see point #2 that people like Rachel Maddow or Bill O' Reilly are not journalists)
The reason why fake news is so prevalent is because Americans are now accustomed to finding a "friendly" news source that will give them a viewpoint they most agree with.
Facts are optional , unnecessary and often unwanted.
The internet and 24/7 news has created an environment where opposing viewpoints are actively opposed and Americans have the luxury to avoid them.
Back when there were 3 channels and talk radio was some crazy guy on a weak AM station no one listened to, Americans were forced to hear and deal with both sides of an issue.
We're they less informed? Absolutely, but that resulted in them having to form their own opinions as opposed to having some $20m bubble headed wannabe actor telling them what to think.
Last edited by KFWA; 12/13/16.
