Spare me your media-bashing conspiracy theory
Left and right and moderate memes use news media as a straw man punching bag and I’m sick of it.

A meme from a politically moderate friend popped up in my news feed a while back. It was nonpartisan — championing the heroism of soldiers at the Pentagon on Sept. 11. The claim was that Marines had formed a “crib corral” to rescue kids from a daycare after American Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. Very heartwarming story, if not at all true. But the falsity of the meme was only secondarily troubling to me. The most troubling thing about the meme was that it started out this way: “I wonder why, no, I know why you never saw this on the mainstream media!” And the meme ends with a “reminder” that it’s the military that keeps us safe, not politicians. And “the media” — it is clear — is just keeping this fact from the public. Another meme shared by a liberal friend: Millions march against ISIS, but a “media blackout” keeps people from knowing about it. Also false. There are too many conservative conspiracy memes to share, but their mistrust of “mainstream media” is well-documented and abundant online. One conservative friend posted something alluding to the Clintons’ “kill list.”
I have smart, reasonable friends who have shared these memes. And what disturbs me is not just that they don’t fact-check — I actually believe people are getting better about that. What disturbs me is that the “THE MEDIA DOESN’T WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS!” part of the meme never even registers with them. Or, if it does, it’s an assumption so taken for granted, it doesn’t bother them.
Here’s why it bothers me:
- I teach “the media.” The Media is me (and my students, and my colleagues, and my former colleagues, and my current friends). I take teenagers into my classes and teach them how to ask probing questions, how to verify information, how account for and eliminate bias from their thinking and writing, how to report with precision and accuracy. We spend roughly four YEARS talking about how to research, how to follow the law, how to improve the accuracy and quality of their reporting and writing. That’s what I do FOR A LIVING. And I love it. My colleagues love it. At no point is there a super-secret session on “how to keep patriotic information from the public.” At no point do we issue them a plan on how to participate in the giant media conspiracy to keep things from people.
- Despite my very public and vocal participation in the education, critique, and research of “the media” — no one thinks these memes relate personally to me. They assume that “the media” is some nameless faceless power somewhere else — in CNN’s Atlanta studio, or in New York or L.A. But “the media” is also over on Seventh Street at the Tribune-Star in Terre Haute. There, you’ll find a bunch of mostly normal decent people including Sue and Howard and Dave and Lisa and Mark and Marissa and Merv. They’re ACTUAL people. And The Media is also in Brazil, Indiana, and Linton, Indiana, and Statesboro, Georgia, and Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Lansing, Michigan, and Savannah, Georgia, and in every kind of town all over the country. It’s not just print and online, either. The Media is at the corner of 8th and Ohio and in Farmersburg, Indiana, where nice people put together TV news stories, and then go to the same grocery store where you shop, and visit the same doctors for the same allergies, and take their kids to the same after-school classes and playgrounds. *takes a breath* They are not trying to trick you.
- The memes are presenting The Media as a straw-man — a made-up enemy against which they can argue any point they wish to make. And the point they often wish to make is this: You are being fooled. Journalists cannot be trusted to tell you the real deal. You need to place your trust in the military, a religion, a political party, an ideology, *fill in the group*. These memes are pitching an idea — that life is simple, and that media stories that make life seem complex are trying to pull one over on the rest of us with common sense. If only you would just trust *name of group*, our country would be better off.
- The Media has real problems. I have shelves upon shelves of books and active research projects exploring the complexity and nature of those problems. Bias is real, although not just the kinds of bias conservatives and liberals complain about. Journalists are humans who are imperfect. Media institutions perpetuate habits and structures of power that are not necessarily healthy for democracy. Audiences do need to be skeptical and discerning about news. And it is important to remember often under-reported good things that happen in our world. In the words of Ira Glass: “Too many journalists leave the joy out of their stories. Most newspapers document a world that is meaner than it really is.” One of my favorite quotes, which I share with my students regularly. Over-simplifying news media’s problems to the point that you think “you can’t believe anything you see” is not the answer. That makes you a less skeptical audience member, not more.
So, what do I want? So glad you asked! I want people to do the following:
- Be deeply skeptical of any social media post that begins with “THEY don’t want you to know…” or “You won’t see this in mainstream media…” If it helps, replace “They” or “mainstream media” with my own name, and then see how it strikes you. “Lori doesn’t want you to know…” or “Lori won’t tell you about this, but…”
- Be as skeptical of conspiracy theories as you are of the mainstream media. Ask yourself: What evidence is being offered here? What argument is being made? Does this make sense? Is it likely? Treat memes like you would treat a teenager’s story about why they got home two hours late. Make a few inquiries.
- Participate in The Media! You’re going to be shocked by this, but your local newspapers, TV stations and radio stations actually go out into the world and talk to people. And those people could be YOU! A very nice guy named Mike has been a cameraman for a local news station for many years and he’s my neighbor — the nicest, smiliest guy you’ll ever meet. He has a wife and kids and lots of friends. He’s a good dude. You could talk to him. Face to face! The newspaper ran a story with my name in it the other day. Because I went to a public meeting and spoke publicly and then said hello and gave information to the newspaper reporter who was there. A very transparent process, actually. Got a problem with the way a story is reported? Call or email The Media. Even the New York Times reporters and editors make their contact info public. CNN’s newsroom contact info is public. On the flip side, try getting hold of the meme creator who says reporters can’t be trusted. Go ahead… I’ll wait while you find that guy’s name, number, and email address…
Please don’t feel red-faced shame if you’ve shared something like this in the past. I get the appeal. And I have also shared some things I ended up having to retract on my own feed. It’s human nature. But please let today be the day you do better. And let today be the day you ask people in your feed to do better. And thanks for letting me get this out… Happy posting!

