In an era addicted to outrage and confirmation bias, Colorado Politics editor Vince Bzdek asks us to reconsider the power of asking the right damn questions. In a thoughtful and refreshingly earnest July 19, 2025 column, Bzdek reflects on a Denver panel hosted by the Colorado Media Project and Colorado Public Radio that tackled the implosion of trust in journalism. What emerged was less about red vs. blue and more about truth vs. tribalism. Bzdek doesn’t scream; he reasons. He doesn’t spin; he reflects. As you can well imagine, I (as a 40-year broadcaster) have strong feelings about the modern day state of media. Those feelings heavily taint my reading of Vince’s article.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Journalism’s Identity Crisis: Reporters aren’t chasing truth anymore—they’re chasing traffic. And the newsroom’s soul has been sold to the devil of digital engagement.
- Echo Chambers and Social Shrapnel: People no longer seek information—they seek affirmation. The algorithm has replaced the editor, and “fair and balanced” lost the ratings war to “mad and monetized.”
- Audience Is Now the Boss: Media isn’t shaping public opinion—it’s bowing to it. Loyalty isn’t earned through truth-telling; it’s bought through emotional stroking and ideological cuddles.
- Panel’s Hard Truths: The event hit on something rare—journalists, editors, and academics agreeing that the public itself might be the problem. You can’t fix media if the audience only wants comfort food for their political soul.
- The Answer Is the Question: Bzdek argues that good journalism doesn’t exist to deliver tidy answers—it exists to ask better questions. Sadly, in today’s outrage economy, asking the right questions just doesn’t pay.
My Bottom Line
Let me just say this—I respect the hell out of Vince Bzdek. He’s doing something rarer than a bipartisan handshake: telling the truth without trying to monetize your tears. Here’s my opinion about the elephant in the newsroom: the public is broken. We’ve traded curiosity for certainty, skepticism for snark (in candor, this sheet included – because I just don’t trust them), and objective reporting for partisan pandering. Hell, the news today is just vibes with a byline. And let’s be honest—social media poured gasoline on this fire and handed everyone a match. We don’t want facts. We want memes that confirm our rage. Until the public decides truth is more important than tribalism, real journalism will remain a side hustle in a click-driven circus. We’ll keep getting the media we deserve—because we keep clicking on it.
