In 2022, I want to believe that the national media will finally take its role as a pillar of democracy seriously. But frankly, I doubt it. Coverage will continue to perpetuate the erosion of social norms, of human rights, and of democracy. Political media will continue to use false equivalency, problematic images, and the perpetual belief that objectivity is white, male, and affluent. Climate change will continue to get short shrift because it’s too technical, it’s too scary, it’s not sexy. Articles pontificating on who’ll win the midterm elections will bury the largest threat to human...…In 2022, I want to believe that the national media will finally take its role as a pillar of democracy seriously. But frankly, I doubt it. Coverage will continue to perpetuate the erosion of social norms, of human rights, and of democracy. Political media will continue to use false equivalency, problematic images, and the perpetual belief that objectivity is white, male, and affluent. Climate change will continue to get short shrift because it’s too technical, it’s too scary, it’s not sexy. Articles pontificating on who’ll win the midterm elections will bury the largest threat to human...WW…

In December, The New York Times revealing how ExxonMobil and other oil companies had paid a public relations firm named to build “news” and information websites falsely suggesting grassroots support for the fossil fuel industry and its initiatives. ExxonMobil, which didn’t speak with Times reporter (and my former coworker) Hiroko Tabuchi for the story, responded by trying to smear the messenger. “We refused to work with the author,” ExxonMobil , “because of her obvious bias against the oil and gas industry.”The firm was alluding to an October tweet by Tabuchi that she’d “been thinking a lot...…In December, The New York Times revealing how ExxonMobil and other oil companies had paid a public relations firm named to build “news” and information websites falsely suggesting grassroots support for the fossil fuel industry and its initiatives. ExxonMobil, which didn’t speak with Times reporter (and my former coworker) Hiroko Tabuchi for the story, responded by trying to smear the messenger. “We refused to work with the author,” ExxonMobil , “because of her obvious bias against the oil and gas industry.”The firm was alluding to an October tweet by Tabuchi that she’d “been thinking a lot...WW…