The High Cost of Staying Informed

A few weeks ago my daughter and I were discussing the latest news and, as usual when we have these discussions, we lamented the fact that there are so many ill-informed, mal-informed, or uninformed people out there who fail to see the reality of what's going on around them. This observation leads to the obvious question: if we have so many sources of information available, why are so many people so ignorant of the news that affects their lives?

There are, of course, many reasons. The decline of local newspapers, accompanied by the proliferation of social media and the stovepiping of broadcast media that allows people to listen only to what they want to hear, are all guilty. So is the desire of much of the mainstream media to avoid antagonizing a blatantly authoritarian (dare I say, fascist) government. But in my mind, a contributing factor is the high cost of staying informed.

I used to subscribe to two daily newspapers: the Washington Post and the New York Times. Until I quit my Post subscription in disgust over its editorial policies and the shameless meddling of owner Jeff Bezos, I was paying a total of $37 per month for both; now, it's down to just $25 for the Times alone. 

But in order to read a digital newspaper, I need an internet connection, which costs $112 per month (which also includes cable TV and landline phone). The internet connection gives me access to a wide range of national and international news sources, most of which require their own subscriptions. CNN, for example, now wants $3.99/month to read most of its streaming content ... although I pay for the CNN broadcast as part of my cable TV bill, access to streaming content is, according to the CNN website, considered a "separate feature" that must be separately paid for. Many digital newspapers and magazines allow you to read one or two free articles per month, but then require you to subscribe to read more ... so if you used those free articles in the first days of the month, you're pretty well informationally screwed for the next few weeks.

I subscribe to two Substack sites: historian Heather Cox Richardson's superb daily "Letters from an American" (which provides excellent historical context for current events) at a cost of $5.00 per month, and "Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance" (which provides detailed legal analysis of current events) at $6.00/month. There are numerous others I would like to subscribe to for a variety of viewpoints, and the number is rising quickly as more and more respected journalists flee the newspapers and the broadcast networks and start their own (subscription) online sites. Those subscription fees add up quickly. 

I have, in the past, subscribed to periodicals like Newsweek, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, and Rolling Stone, but have dropped them all because of the expense.

Can you get free information? Yes and no. Most public libraries subscribe to local and national newspapers and other periodicals that you can read free of charge, thanks to the local taxes you pay. The downside is, of course, that you have to physically go there (which requires transportation and takes time) unless the library offers digital copies online ... in which case you need to pay for that home internet connection. You can also listen to free news broadcasts on AM and FM radio, for which you need only a (relatively inexpensive) radio. The downside of this, though, is that radio air time is limited and expensive, and doesn't allow enough time to address issues in depth (with the exception of National Public Radio, which doesn't charge for its service, but constantly begs you to donate).

My point in all this rambling is that in today's America, it costs money to stay informed ... money that a lot of people may not be able to spend. If you want to deep-dive into important issues, access to the information you need may well be too expensive or too difficult for you to access. And I believe this is one major reason why many people loudly and passionately support Der Furor - they can't afford to pay for access to the variety of information that would help them make informed choices. People who are fortunate enough to afford access to information are better able to cut through the hogwash and see the world as it is ... not like they're told it is.

And that's sad.

Have a good day, and stay as informed as you can afford. It's for your own good, and ours, too.

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo