Liberally Correct Liberally Correct

Liberally Correct brings its great saga on the media to a close with a discussion on the oldest form of journalism: print. Eric Mack and Brett Madsen discuss the work that the New York Times and Washington Post have done in the aftermath of the election and how very few outlets seem to have the capability to do the type of investigative reporting that can make a difference. They also discuss the transition from consumption of print news via a morning newspaper versus a continuous 24/7 feed that is frequently consumed in an aggregated form.

Fellow millennial Matthew Hirte joins Eric Mack and Brett Madsen to discuss the aftermath of the 2016 United States presidential election. As a Bernie Sanders supporter, Matthew believes the Democrats rigged the primaries and stole the election from Bernie, which Eric and Brett disagree with. The discussion dives into the history of Matthew's political views, why Bernie decided to run as a Democrat rather than as an Independent, and why if the Left cannot find a way to unite, the Republicans will be in control for the foreseeable future.

Two millennials get into the shit show that was TV coverage of the 2016 United States presidential election. Eric Mack and Brett Madsen discuss the root causes behind the end product, including the role of money in the news business and how strongly it ultimately shapes our thinking. They also discuss how easily Donald Trump was able to manipulate cable news into creating a feedback loop based on the topic of his choosing, and how he was able to ultimately drive the conversation.

In the final Liberally Correct episode of 2016, millennials Eric Mack and Brett Madsen give a brief overview of the history of media in the age of rapid corporate consolidation. They discuss how fake news, biased/spun news and sensationalist material is simply easier to monetize in today's niche media environment that for the most part is dependent on clicks. They also talk about the business and marketing of content and media, and how the transition from a product-based economy to a content-based economy is affecting not just the news and how we obtain information, but every aspect of our day-to-day lives.

In part one of Liberally Correct's media chronicles, Eric Mack and Brett Madsen dissect the rise of social media, the role it currently plays in the media landscape, and how Donald Trump was specifically able to use Twitter to bypass media filters to speak directly to his supporters.

Topics covered: What Is Included in "The Media," What Makes a Good or Real News Organization, Fringe Media, The Reporting Process, The Manti Te'o Incident, Social Media, The Role of Facebook and the Origins of the News Feed, The Role of Twitter and Why It Replaced RSS Readers, The Death of Newspapers, The Rise of Real-Time Communications, Where People Tend to Get Their News From Now, Why Our Species Was Able to Conquer the Planet Due to the Development of Fictional Information, How Trump Leveraged Fictional Information to Win the Election. 

In the third episode of Liberally Correct, Eric Mack and Brett Madsen get into the finer details of Bernie Sanders' proposed revolution and whether people actually want what he was proposing. Brett contrasts his recent year in China with some of the goals of the Sanders campaign. 

They then examine income and wealth inequality and discuss the historical role that the industrial revolution played in the writing of The Communist Manifesto. They also wonder how much the current economic anxiety has to do with the digital/information revolution and whether the current income and wealth inequality will even out over time, as it did after the industrial revolution ended.

Eric and Brett then list several things we need to do to have a better democracy. And finally, they ask the question, "Would Bernie have won against Trump?"