Why the News Media Missed George Santos’ Lies
INTERVIEW ON THE PRICE OF BUSINESS SHOW, MEDIA PARTNER OF THIS SITE.
Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, interviewed David Dozier who is a leading media authority.
- Congressman George Santos lied about his education, his non-existent career on Wall Street, and non-existent Jewish heritage
- He is currently under investigation for ethics violations and criminal misuse of campaign funds
- The news media failed in its “watchdog” function because it has too few watchdogs
- Print newsroom staffing declined 57 percent since 2004
- Broadcast news staffing declined 30 percent since 2004
- News media can’t perform its vital “watchdog” function without watchdogs
- News media management failed to recognize the Internet as a disruptive innovation that would lead to massive reductions in ad revenues
Details
Newly elected congressman George Santos (R-NY) lied when he claimed he worked for Goldman Sachs on Wall Street. He never did. He lied that his grandparents were Holocaust survivors. He lied about where he went to high school and college. He is currently under investigation for ethics violations and misuse of campaign funds. Why did the news media miss all these lies until after the November election? Many factors caused this lapse in the “watchdog” function of the news media. But an overarching reason is staffing. In this century, the Internet has been a disruptive innovation that has decimated ad revenues for print and broadcast journalism. This has resulted in a precipitous drop in the number of working reporters. In print newsrooms, the Pew Research Center reports a 57 percent drop in staffing—from 71,640 in 2004 to 30,820 in 2020. The number of broadcast reporters has dropped 30 percent—from 3,360 in 2004 to 2,360 in 2020. The media can’t perform the “watchdog” function without watchdogs. News media management didn’t see the Internet freight train coming. Strategic planning in the 1980s and 1990s could have mitigated the damage done. (See DavidDozierBooks.com).
The Price of Business is one of the longest running shows of its kind in the country and is in markets coast to coast. The Host, Kevin Price, is a multi-award winning author, broadcast journalist, and syndicated columnist. He is Editor at Large for this site. Learn more about the show and its digital partners at www.PriceofBusiness.com.
David Dozier (DavidDozierBooks.com) is the author of the novel, The California Killing Field. He is a professor emeritus in the School of Journalism & Media Studies, San Diego State University. He’s an internationally recognized expert on communication management and public relations.
According to USA Business Radio, “David Dozier is a scholar of public relations and communication management, professor emeritus in the School of Journalism & Media Studies at San Diego State University, and author of The California Killing Field. He says fake news has become a phenomenon, political campaigns use the tactic to influence voters, and that it’s perplexing that a conspiracy-based group such as QAnon has gained national attention.
Kevin Price and David Dozier are doing a multi-part series on this important topic that will be on many different platforms, as well as on radio. Keep an eye out for the series throughout the Price of Business Digital Network and USA Business Radio.
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LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW IN ITS ENTIRETY HERE
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