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Newsflash shocking to almost no one: trust in US media is at an all time low. How much of an all-time low? I’m glad you asked. According to a recent study by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, respondents from the US rated their trust in the media the lowest of any of the 47 countries surveyed. Just 29% of Americans said they trust the media. 

As someone who works in “media”, I’m hardly surprised. 

Along with the demise of the fairness doctrine, we have corporate consolidation and liquidation of local media outlets, the toxic hold of Fox News on its viewers, and then the addition of ye olde internet and social media. Purveyors of crap and slingers of slop abound, adhering to no unified code of ethics or inquiry. Profits and quality often have an inverse relationship in our media landscape. And that’s before we even get into the former president and right-wing apparatus overt attacks on journalism and the media, resurrecting chants of Lügenpresse and ginning up his supporters at rallies to accost members of the media. 

Restoring trust isn’t easy and it certainly isn’t quick.  Like most of our democracy-related crises, solutions such as improving media literacy and government support will have to dovetail.  But we also need to demand more of our most trusted outlets. From context-free headlines in an era where that’s all anyone reads to a beltway press that seemingly cannot abandon bothsideism to improving newsroom diversity, the onus falls first and acutely on the Fourth Estate.

Which brings me to DAME. We don’t publish to profit, we never have. We publish from a moral imperative to amplify voices and narratives that reflect all of us. We are not beholden to corporate overlords, advertisers, or political parties. We are accountable only to you, our readers, and the journalists and writers we publish. There’s a reason why we are a bucket list publication for so many authors. Quality has cache. Especially when it is in such short supply.

We don’t rebuild trust in media all at once, but we must attend to it nonetheless. Distrust in media leads to the easy spread of dis- and mis-information. It exacerbates polarization and poisons public discourse. In DAME’s little corner of the media world, we take responsibility to do our part seriously.

Until next time,


Jennifer Reitman
Founder/Publisher

What's on your mind this week? Thoughts on the media? Stories we should be covering? The infrastructure plan? Tell me! Email me anytime at jennifer.reitman@damemagazine.com

This week we're talking about

Information Overload.

Access to too much information exhausts our ability to think critically. Studies have shown it. You’ve probably felt it: overstimulation; brain fog; feelings of inadequacy and overwhelm. But what do we do about it? Elaine Meyer’s must-read piece this week reminds us that we are not condemned to remain hostage to TMI.

We don't answer to anyone but our readers and your support ensures we can stay free from outside influence. Please help us reach our goal of 2,500 monthly supporters. When you make a one-time donation or become a member, you allow DAME to expand our analysis and our reporting and to hire more journalists. 
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What we're reading.

Hell hath no fury like a narcissistic Russian billionaire whose main business is destroying women’s lives. Oh, and you may follow this dude on Instagram. This story is haunting, riveting, and uncomfortable.

“Falsifying the past legitimates oppression in the present.” Tim Snyder, a pre-eminent scholar of fascism, explains why the GOP spends so much time attacking history.

Loving this piece by Tom and Lorenzo, the founders of Project RunGAY, on the art of shutting up. If you find yourself wondering if your opinion or hot take is needed, always defer to listening to and amplifying those who are closest to and most affected by the issue.

And want some more media criticism? Dig into some of our past pieces here.

                                          
Programming note
We are off next week in observance of the July 4th holiday and, honestly, to take a deep breath. Bringing you important content and insights feels like a neverending cycle, and it’s important for us all to take a pause to re-charge and just BE. 

As an independent media outlet, reader support is essential for our sustainability. Please consider becoming a member today for as little as $5.00 a month!

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