Mass Deception - How (And Why) The Fourth Estate Is Failing the Country

Off the Cuff Public Off the Cuff
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Originally published at: Mass Deception – How (And Why) The Fourth Estate Is Failing the Country – Peak Prosperity

This is the fourth podcast in the “Is It Too Late?” series.

Many people, me included, feel like the United States is headed in the wrong direction. As in disastrously wrong. So, the question arises: can the U.S. be saved, or is it already too late?

And by ‘saved’ I mean can we return to a country that offers a fair shake to all of its citizens, not just the 0.1%, with equal justice for all, and that provides a livable future which the young can inhabit and believe in?

In this episode we turn to the fourth estate – the media – which has been failing us for years. It is my view the media is not only bad but rapidly becoming even less capable of holding government accountable, providing unbiased factual reporting, and holding up truth to power, be that corporate or governmental power.

And I’m not alone…A 2025 Gallup poll revealed a startling slide in confidence in the media, stating, quote:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans’ confidence in the mass media has edged down to a new low, with just 28% expressing a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in newspapers, television and radio to report the news fully, accurately and fairly. This is down from 31% last year and 40% five years ago.

Meanwhile, seven in 10 U.S. adults now say they have “not very much” confidence (36%) or “none at all” (34%).

  • Republicans’ confidence has dropped to single digits (8%) for the first time in the trend.

  • Independents’ trust has not reached the majority level since 2003, and the latest 27% reading matches last year’s historical low.

  • For Democrats, the narrowest of majorities (51%) now express trust in the media, which is a repeat of the low previously seen in 2016.

    (Source – Gallup)

Clearly, we’re not going to be fixing anything with the media constantly leading us astray and comprehensively failing at their most sacred duty of shining bright lights on uncomfortable topics.

To explore this with us today is Dylan Ratigan. For thirty years, he sat in the rooms where money, media, and power actually operate. He built Bloomberg’s corporate-finance desk, created CNBC’s Fast Money, and hosted MSNBC’s highest-rated daytime show.

Then, at the peak of his career, Dylan Ratigan walked away—not because he’d run out of things to say, but because talking wasn’t enough. New York Times bestselling author. Relentless critic of the unholy alliance between government and greed. A man who left the studio to try building something better… and came back with the stories only someone who’s been inside can tell.

Dylan’s insider status afforded him a ringside seat to observe how and why mainstream media lost the plot. Of course, money is at the center of it all. And the way mainstream media makes money ensures the incentives are off track for providing factual coverage that holds truth to power.

Instead, media makes money by acquiring and monetizing human attention, creating powerful incentives for provocative, emotional, and sensational content.

Media executives are motivated by the idea of not being fired, and the way you do that is by playing the game.

Beyond these difficult-to-respect weaknesses, Ratigan considers sins of omission more consequential than sins of commission. What isn’t reported on at all is a far more serious threat to our republic than overtly false stories.

False reporting can be identified and challenged, while subjects that simply never receive serious coverage can remain outside public awareness. Like the Epstein case, or Covid vaccine injuries, or fake weapons of mass destruction (WMD’s) in Iraq.

In the end, Dylan is working to create a better world, too. He sees ways out of this mess, but it’s not going to be easy or quick. Alternative media is on the rise, eating the figurative and literal lunch of the entrenched and sinking traditional mass media companies.

Truth shall set us free.

Onward.

Timestamps

03:25 Why The Media Has Lost Trust
05:28 Outrage Is The Business Model
07:29 Why Executives Refuse To Change
12:37 Why Traditional Media Ignores Its Audience
20:37 How Access Journalism Protects Power
26:12 When Journalists Stop Serving The Audience
32:55 Advertising And The Price Of Silence
39:00 When Private Knowledge Becomes Common Knowledge
42:46 Beyond The Two-Party System
48:31 The Hidden War Between Generations
55:22 The Mathematics Of Compounding Wealth
01:03:40 The Algorithm Wants Your Attention
01:08:49 Building A World Worth Inheriting

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Journalists are not here to provide us with accurate information.

They are here to subjugate us to people, most of whom we do not even know and could not even name.

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Back in the early 1990s, maybe even earlier, journalism majors saw their future role as political advocacy, not unbiased reporting. I suspect it’s worse now.

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Perhaps the greatest sin of ommission ever:

https://x.com/georgegalloway/status/2105100322901196816?s=20

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“Nothing will be done without the bloodiest blows.” -A Voyage to Arcturus

Of course it is possible, there are doubtless many ways to get there, but that does not make it likely in a weak-willed “consumer” culture which, basically, puts up with all manner of abuse, repetitively, and – thus – encourages further abuse. It is pathetic to see the way virtually all supposed “citizens” continue to embrace big government and big corporations as their salvation – instead of their blood enemy.

I would say a major turning point, toward today’s open Fascism (defined as hand in glove collaboration between govenrment and big money, big corporate coordinated action, per Musolini) was the acceptance by people of the Citizens United 2010 decision.

"Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission , decided in 2010 (not 2000). In this 5–4 decision, the Court held that corporate and union independent expenditures on political campaigns are protected speech under the First Amendment , thereby striking down provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act that had banned such spending.

This ruling did not allow direct contributions to candidates (which remain prohibited), but it enabled the rise of super PACs —independent expenditure-only committees that can raise and spend unlimited sums from corporations, unions, and wealthy individuals, provided they do not coordinate with candidates. The decision overturned prior precedents, including Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and McConnell v. FEC , which had upheld restrictions on corporate political spending."

I remember thinking, very clearly, at the time that it was an ominous ruling which could only further damage the Republic.

We need to dramatically rein in Corporations, “Foundations”, NGOs, and Government itself. Really, these are all Fictitious Entities which have finagled more rights than humans. How can you have a functioning Republic, or healthy democracy, when FICTIONS HAVE MORE RIGHTS THAN HUMANS?

Corporations didn’t used to exist. And then they only were allowed with extremely limited and well defined scope of activity, scope of geographic area, and lifespan.

That was SUBVERTED by:

The ruling that applied the 14th Amendment to corporations is Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Co. (1886) .
While the Court’s official opinion did not explicitly address the constitutional question, a headnote written by the court reporter stated that Chief Justice Morrison Waite told the parties: “The Court does not wish to hear argument on the question whether the provision in the Fourteenth Amendment… applies to these corporations. We are all of opinion that it does.”

It would be pretty SIMPLE to fix the core problem. But not easy. As I said at the beginning, “Nothing will be done without the bloodiest blows”.

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A smart practical move would be to get out of the country. Or join “the Amish” and drop out. If you live IN this system, you are supporting this system – you are doing what the system wants you to do.

There are probably other means to “drop out” while still having a decent, happy life. Moving to Puerto Rico was a path chosen by some. Moving out of the US entirely is still doable, although you probably need a second language. Earning money within the US but living without is doable with your own corporations. Clever people can do plenty of clever things. But it starts with getting clear about your goals, the true nature of the problem, and your willingness to concentrate and organize your efforts.

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society” -J Krishnamuerti

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We were doing mostly Ok right up until about here -
“The Telecommunications Act of 1996 significantly accelerated the consolidation of media companies in the U.S., allowing a few corporations to dominate the market. As a result, today, over 90 percent of the media is owned by just six companies.”
We can thank this guy -

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I’m really enjoying this series.

I finished the Ratigan interview, and really liked the part near the end. Dylan said the only way out is a political organization outside the two parties, unified around one idea: anti-corruption, antitrust, prosperity. Chris pushed back with something sharper, that it should be aspirational. Define what we want to build, and let Dylan focus on naming what’s in the way.

Dylan said there are hundreds of people with a voice and an audience who need to find each other. Maybe Chris, with Brett and Dylan, could start a list of like-minded people and each person who agrees posts it at the top of their site. I will subscribe to Dylan and say “I am here from Peak Prosperity.”

It wouldn’t require agreeing on everything. Just a few simple truths: we see the corruption, the monopolies, the generational theft and we’re aligned on prosperity, anti-corruption, and a fair shake for the next generation.

Chris. Brett. Dylan. Maybe others. If it grows, it becomes a signal that we’re not as alone as we feel.

One caveat on corruption: taking out 90% of the Agent Smiths won’t work. We can’t forget the tribe, or the werewolf story. If the remaining few stay in cloak and keep working together, they can still manage the whole entity and “win.” This leads quickly to a spiritual conversation, one I don’t think we should avoid.

“They” are actively working to enslave all of us. We cant forget that it is not simple greed that drives them. “They” want to rule us all.

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Yup. And another nail in the coffin was repealing of…

The Glass-Steagall Act , which separated commercial and investment banking, was effectively repealed in 1999 through the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act), signed by President Bill Clinton .

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Yeah I just don’t know think there’s any fixing it. Regardless of whatever faction you want to make or just vote harder bro. These people have just made peaceful change impossible for too long so violent change is inevitable.
Hence why the police and surveillance state. Don’t be surprised when someone as blood thirst as the Bolsheviks get into power. To me it’s always older people saying “well it has to be done peacefully” for the sake of their own comfort, but we all know power comes out of the barrel of a gun.

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I resonate 100% with your comments George. I welcome Dylan into the “It’s Too Late” group with the rest of us, but I really like his idea about getting all the independent voices together to try what Chris described as a peaceful revolution. It’s too late, but I’m willing to keep trying too.

What Tucker Carlson, Thomas Massie, MTG and others are talking about doing could be the bones of such a new movement. I suggest that only people who have an established track record of independent thinking and voting be invited to participate with extra credit for having already publicly gone up against TPTB and paid a big price for it. People who have loudly quit The System in protest, or been drummed out of it by The System should be highly prized. Thomas Massie. Col.Douglas MacGregor. Edward Snowden. Julian Assange. Tucker Carlson. Etc.

I agree with Chris that this movement should be “aspirational” and not “anti” anything. And we have to be ready to fight off attempts to infiltrate and co-opt the movement.

I dare say our biggest obstacle will be “we the people” who are passive, uncurious, self-centered, and oh-so-easily distracted. We don’t need them all on our side and awake, but we need a significant, growing and determined minority.

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And I agree with you: this is first and foremost a spiritual battle.

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Some of what he says seems … suspicious.

Ex: “The oil companies are ripping the faces off of Americans.” I was waiting for Dr. M. to say something, when nothing came out I figured this wasn’t the time or place to divert the conversation.

It would possibly be another short video in the future? With data and sources linked to help us when this topic jumps out in conversations at work or elsewhere the near future?

I work with a lot of … Socialist adjacent people and when I hear the crap they spew out I want to be able to quickly and factually correct them. :grin:

This past summer at work, dude says “Elon Musk is a fascist and now he’s a trillionaire. He should be taken out and shot in the head.” To which I replied “Well, it’s not a trillion sitting in a bank account. That’s a business and asset valuation under his leadership. Anyways, shooting someone because they were successful in business creation isn’t right.” That’s where I stopped because at that point my little brain sidelined to “and it is summertime, 90 degrees fahrenheit outside, you are in your short pants work uniform with spandex leggings underneath. Why am I even talking to you?”

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Ratigan is completely correct about importance of anti-trust lawsuits. The media sphere never should have been allowed to devolve into six corporations. That was Clinton’s fault. In industry after industry power has been consolidated into a few mega-corporations. Clinton actually planned it that way. It was his belief that corporate mergers would drop prices due to “economy of scale.” That, by the way, was the guiding principle of the Soviet Union. How did that turn out?

And how did Clinton’s mega-corporation philosophy work for the citizens of the United States. You want an answer? Buy a product and try getting customer support.

You can’t. Customer support no longer exists. Count yourself lucky if you get a guy from India who can barely speak English.

And, of course, the products stop functioning the day after the warranty expires.

That is what this “economy of scale” nonsense brought us.

Break up all the mega-corporations are restore competition. Let the businesses that value customers survive. The rest can be dropped into the dustbin of history.

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100%. People with clarity, personal resilience and resources to remain independent and with skin in the game become the core. Simple aspirstional statement of the goal and problems.

And to protect the entity, they almost need to vote on new applicants. Gatekeeping isn’t comfortable, but it’s the only defense against internal corruption. And it could be fun too … thinking animal house type voting evening with new applicants portraits. I am grasping at levity here.

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For anyone who needs a laugh …
“A Real Zero”: Frat Selection Scene (John Belushi) | National Lampoon’s Animal House

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New laws and regulations always awaken a desire to find a way around them, and individuals and corporations and other entities will begin devising ways to not fall under the umbrella or the new requirement. More laws or court judgments don’t fix the moral foundation.

And this is the setup for runway AI agents!

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We can thank Mr. Bill for the clipper chip in computers, too!

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I cannot even describe my contempt for Fox News.

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Wealth and power have become so concentrated, it’s going to be all but impossible to address that without the help of law enforcement. It sure would help to get the media on our side, as well. I don’t see either of those things happening, however.

Can’t help feeling pretty certain it’s too late, although I’d be all in on any opening to overthrow the overlords.

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This is my mission of late. Bring us together. Or join someone else’s efforts to do the same. Today’s Wake Up Call podcast harkens to this idea.

You’ve hit the nail on the head.

“The greatest trick the Devil pulled was getting us to think we were alone.”

~ A future historian, probably.