That was not unusual in the 1950s and 1960s. The revenues of the advertising departments sustained the papers, and made their owners quite rich. Even TV ads didn't cut that much into the income stream. During that time, they pumped up the coupon offerings, and many papers were able to spin off those ad circulars, deliver them for free, and still be able to make a profit.
By the 1970s, the daily papers had more competition. The evening news got more time, alternative newspapers were growing, and many people got out of the habit of subscribing. Decade after decade, the reach of newspapers shrunk. TV faced some competition with cable, but not that much. Until the cable industry went all-in to porn, the networks were able to stay profitable.
Enter the Internet. Not that important outside of the academic and scientific world, at first, the invention of a graphical browser allowed it to take off at a stratospheric pace.
Suddenly, there was competition in media. No longer could print and TV passively rake in the cash; they had to aggressively compete for attention in an overcrowded arena.
One after another, print media collapsed, except for the biggest cities (which still reduced to a single daily), and the women's magazines (pay attention to that last part, it will be explored later).
Don Surber, formerly of the Cleveland newspaper game, now retired, has a post making the connection between the anti-American posture of most media, and where the money to keep them in business comes from.
Both domestic and foreign money, that aims to shape politics, culture, and business in America. If they would just openly identify themselves, it would be fatal to their agenda. So, they hide the money, using multinational corporations, and businessmen figureheads (Michael Bloomberg, Rupert Murdoch, Jeff Bezos, to name just a few). Take a look at the list of the largest, and note just how many have foreign birth or connections.
And, their efforts to shape the message may be assisted by our own Deep State.
Women's magazines no longer sell as many issues as they once did - other than the impulse buys, or the school-donation magazine drives, very few women subscribe today. That loss is largely the result of years of coordinated efforts to drum up support for feminist/Progressive/Leftist causes, rather than include articles about topics women are really interested.
Many of them operate at a loss, and are only kept afloat through grants, parent ownership, and - frankly - scamming advertisers who believe that they actually have anywhere near the number of readers that they claim. There are ploys magazines use to entice women to sign up (for FREE!!!!), but make it almost impossible to get the subscription stopped. And, after the trial period, these organizations charge - Big-Time!
One glaring 'tell' that the Official Media is marching to the same dreary drummers is their response to Trump's candidacy/nomination/election.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM PUBLISHED NUMEROUS ARTICLES/OPINIONS/EDITORIALS on the disaster that would - according to the experts - result.
EVERY ONE.
No dissenters. Oh, sure, there might be a few that would try to be neutral. But they always slipped in the snide asides about his ways with women, his crude and brash manners, and his ignorance of foreign policy. Many of them ignored actual accomplishments, starting with graduation at a prestigious Ivy League school, to his business successes - realty, construction, management, and television show production.
Nope, all they could talk about were his failures. Or, his perceived failures.
Even after his election, the women's magazines were so petty and vindictive that they couldn't bring themselves to run features on Melania Trump, a woman who dresses impeccably, has actual modeling experience, and has a fascinating story to tell.
Noooo. They'd rather trot Yet Another Adoring Cover Featuring Michelle Obama! (aka YAACFMO - pronounced Yak-fmo).
Likewise, the articles discussing foreign relations, domestic affairs, or White House policies, uniformly cite both Hate Trumpers and Never Trumpers. It's not an accident, nor just a coincidence. The opinions of women, whether influenced by television, cable, or print media, are being 'nudged' to conform. And, conforming is what most women do best.
[I strongly suggest reading Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. It's one of the few books by Leftists I actually bought, but the price was worth it, just to understand Leftist thinking. Fortunately, it's now available on KU and in most libraries, so you won't be sending money to the Left.]
This is a well-planned plot to 'subtly' push Americans into the corral. We are being pushed into conformity, obedience, and watching what we say, lest we offend The Elite (and those allied with them).
So, what can you do?
(1) Stop consuming the media via their preferred means. Cut the cable. Don't settle for the mediated news - download selectively. For example, Congressional (and Senatorial) activities are all filmed, unless in private session. Transcripts of hearings are downloadable. Thomas can provide the full text of proposed legislation (I've read bills, and most of them are comprehensible, if a touch lawyeresque. But, the gist of them is in relatively plain English).
By detaching from the sound-bite offerings, you take control of your news consumption.
Also, make a point of using a variety of news sources, from different perspectives. Most Leftists only consume news from the point of view of the Left. Most of us are far more aware of opposing opinion (and, just how slanted the Left News is).
(2) Spend some time each week on self-education. Read the Federalist Papers. Learn about the history of the world. Pick a topic, and become an expert on some small part - and, please, share that expertise with the rest of us.
Don't waste your time trying to educate the uneducable. Focus on understanding forces at work in our world.
Learn some geography - there are interactive map games that will help you learn where countries are, and begin to understand how interactions with their neighbors might lead to conflict. Also, if you're ever on Jeopardy, you may just win!
(3) Find some people who are culturally and politically compatible with you. This might be in your neighborhood, at church, at local political events, or even virtual (make sure you get face-to-face occasionally - real life is important). Work to make a local impact on some issue. The education you receive is worth the time. May I suggest Heinlein's book on politics as a resource? Worth buying, but also available in KU.
We are not alone. There are more and more people, every day, that are reaching the point of mis-trusting MOST of what they hear/see from media. That's a good starting point. When people's own experience doesn't match what they are told is The Truth, we have arrived at The Starting Point. From that point, we have a population that will be open to listening.
We can't force it. Those that are in power over the established media are in a good position to defend.
What might bring someone to take that extra step?
Help them find a way to become a part of The Resistance. Support dissident media. Encourage people with a story to tell to write it themselves, or, at least, talk to someone who can write it. Find out how others might contribute to alternative media (video, podcast, blogs, artwork, books, etc.), and give your support. Financial, if possible, but also promotional. Help them make up promotional materials. Volunteer to help with distribution. Give them a reason to become a part of this.
In activities, let others help (this is tough for loners who believe that no one can do the job as well as they can. That, in fact, might be true. But, for every Revolutionary Leader, there were a hell of a lot of support people, delivering messages, moving stuff, listening and reporting back. Everyone in this fight should work to find at least 3 people who are willing to help, and LET THEM! No, they would do it as well as you would. Yes, supervising, advising, coaching, and teaching take far more time than doing it yourself.
That insistence on going it alone is death to the project. Don't do it. They will develop confidence and competency, if you manage to learn how to become a good coach.
[UPDATE: I'd almost forgotten these connections.]
Picture below from the same site.
I appreciate what you've addressed here, especially the advice, some (not all) of which matches what I've been doing since I retired a decade ago. I just wish I hadn't gotten such a late start.
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