Blue Beggers

Democrats can't survive without them:

Myriad measures show Democrats’ liberal worldview is getting crushed. This isn’t just based on policies or leadership—as demonstrated by President Biden’s abysmal job approval ratings (according to Real Clear Politics’ average of national polling, Biden finished with a 39 percent overall approval rating). It’s also measured in the media market. Immediately following November’s election, stories were rife about MSNBC and CNN viewership plummeting: in late November MSNBC was down 38 percent and CNN 22 percent as Fox News jumped 41 percent. Not long after, MSNBC parent Comcast announced it would jettison MSNBC. MSNBC was allowed to keep its name (appropriately titled “SpinCo”), but little else—including staff, offices, and studio space—while remaining “talent” absorbed pay cuts. During April, Fox not only drubbed MSNBC and CNN, it beat ABC and NBC “to become the second highest-rated network in all of television.” On audio (radio and podcasts), where NPR dwells, the situation is far worse. According to Talkers’ estimate for March 2025, all the top 10 radio talk show hosts were conservatives. Earlier this month, Slate admitted: “Liberals have been sufficiently rooted out of the digital-media ecosystem at a moment when political conversations and activism exist largely online.” So desperate to counter Joe Rogan’s influence from the right, Democrats are seeking to buy their own liberal version. The decline of newspapers, which the Left dominate, is itself old news. In October 2024, there were fewer than 5600 newspapers remaining, down from 8900 in 2005—a 37 percent drop. Revenues have fallen even more: from $49.4 billion in 2005 to $9.8 billion in 2022. Even liberal flagships are not immune. The Washington Post lost about $100 million in 2024, 30 percent more than in 2023. The LA Times reportedly lost $50 million in 2024. Unable to pay their own way in media, Democrats need someone to pay it for them. Being Democrats, that of course means going to the government.

They really need their mouthpieces...