Friday Edition: A Surprising Media Shift

Major newsrooms are shifting to the center as the public complains their reporting is too biased and trust in media craters. (The Guardian)

The latest: Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong has reportedly asked his paper’s editorial board to “take a break” from covering President-elect Trump.

• In an interview with the Times published on Sunday, Soon-Shiong said he wants the paper to become a “middle-of-the-road, trustworthy source.”

• Earlier this month, the self-identified political independent announced plans for a “bias meter” that would alert readers to the ideological slant of articles and offer opposing views.

• In October, Soon-Shiong blocked the Times from endorsing Kamala Harris for president, a move which sparked the resignation of editorials editor Mariel Garza.

• "If we just have the one side, it becomes nothing else but an echo chamber,” Soon-Shiong told Fox News in November.

Zoom out: Many of the biggest news brands in the country have made similar moves.

The Washington Post: WaPo owner Jeff Bezos blocked the paper’s endorsement of Harris in October, declaring: “What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence.”

CNN: The end of the Jeff Zucker era at CNN kicked off a noticeable drift toward less partisan coverage.

• One 2022 poll found that 58% of CNN viewers saw the network as more critical of President Biden, 45% said it was friendlier to Donald Trump, 40% thought it had shifted to a more centrist or right tone and 60% reported seeing more conservative viewpoints on-air.

• In the run-up to the 2024 election, Republican CNN contributor Scott Jennings’ frequent rhetorical drubbings of his Democratic opponents turned him into a media star.

Context: Trust in media continues to hover near record-lows, and 77% of Americans believe the press is biased.

• Cable news ratings — especially for left-leaning outlets like CNN and MSNBC — are cratering, while independent media surges.

The upshot: Media companies’ pivot away from explicitly coverage might be a business decision as much as it’s an editorial one.

Bubba’s Two Cents

Centrism can still be partisan, but it reflects an effort to avoid extreme bias. When you get down to it, people want news to serve them, not indulge the interests of journalists. Long-term, I think news consumers crave substance over spectacle, but easy clicks, like cravings for sweets, often lead outlets astray. The mainstream news industry has to recalibrate if it wants to be relevant again, focusing on audience needs rather than internal validation.

A new City Journal report shines a spotlight on some troubling patterns in K-12 education. (City Journal)

Disruptive behavior: Federal and state policies aimed at reducing suspensions and expulsions, as well as traditional disciplinary measures getting replaced by interventions like "restorative circles" and "restorative conferences," are contributing to a permissive climate in public schools.

• Last year, more than 70% of teachers reported an increase in disruptive behavior like aggression, bullying, tantrums and emotional outbursts.

• According to a Pew Research Center survey from earlier this year, 1 in 5 teachers say student disrespect is a problem in their classrooms.

• Case in point: This week Alexandria City High School in Northern Virginia responded to multiple student fights by transitioning to online learning and offering “virtual support circles” hosted by the Department of Student Services and Equity.

Chronic absenteeism: Post-pandemic, lenient attendance policies persist, with 25% of students now chronically absent.

Grade inflation: Academic standards are declining with practices like retaking tests, accepting late assignments and avoiding failing grades.

• A 2024 analysis of 33,000 grades found that 40% were elevated beyond what standardized testing outcomes would predict.

Standardized testing decline: Testing is being replaced by subjective measures to increase passing rates, lowering overall academic rigor.

• For instance, after Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, once the top-ranked public high school in the country, eliminated standardized tests as part of its admissions process, the number of Thomas Jefferson students who were named National Merit Semifinalists dropped by more than half.

Bubba’s Two Cents

What’s happening in K-12 education feels similar to the unpopular, equity-focused policies in crime and immigration, which faced a backlash that probably helped Trump win in 2024. Is a similar blowback coming for public schools?

The numbers: The latest episode of the “Explain to Shane” podcast highlights some staggering statistics about the U.S. drug shortage crisis, including the fact that 83% of oncologists say they can’t administer their preferred chemotherapy treatments. (American Enterprise Institute)

• Last year, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists data showed there were 323 active drug shortages — the highest level ever recorded.

Context: The U.S. drug shortage crisis largely stems from globalization, pricing pressures and a decline in domestic manufacturing.

• U.S. generic drug production has dropped roughly 20% since 2018, while overseas producers with 40-60% lower costs have come to dominate the market.

• Low prices and tight margins have forced many American manufacturers to shut down or move abroad, creating a fragile supply chain.

• According to the advocacy organization Angels for Change, 96% of drug shortages can be traced back to manufacturing and supply chain problems, or other issues within human control.

Bubba’s Two Cents

Polls and headlines alike highlight that Americans are deeply concerned about healthcare costs, but the ongoing drug shortage crisis reveals far more systemic issues within the U.S. healthcare system.