#media-sensationalism

#media-sensationalism

Never before have I been so uncertain about the future. Think of all the giant issues that confront us: artificial intelligence, potential financial bubbles, the decline of democracy, the rise of global authoritarianism, the collapse of reading scores and general literacy, China's sudden scientific and technological dominance, Russian advances in Ukraine. I could go on and on. So what has America's political class decided to obsess about over the last several months?

This village within a city, as locals describe it, came to global attention again last month when Elon Musk amplified anti-immigrant misinformation about an incident allegedly involving a 12-year-old girl who was charged with being in possession of offensive weapons. Scotland's first minister John Swinney accused the multibillionaire X owner of undermining community cohesion after he shared widely circulated video footage of the incident.

At trial, Chambers had claimed that Levin's death was the result of a sexual encounter gone wrong. Rosanna Scotto, a Fox 5 news anchor who covered the case at the time, said Chambers looked like a Hollywood Adonis. Another described him as Kennedyesque. The fact that Chambers was an Upper East Side preppy added a whiff of ironyin these elite circles, violent crime just didn't happen.

Going on a summer holiday is always a bit strange when your life involves staring at sport. Taking a break just as football is preparing to enter its own sweaty, steamy eight-month meat pocket is extra tough. Re-engagement can be difficult. Oh look. There's football hiding behind a bush in the car park again, frazzled and wired from staying up drinking crystal meth negronis and writing a presentation about merging marketing and sales.

Mainstream media outlets are recycling tired narratives about cannabis, and this time, it's aimed squarely at high-THC weed. The headlines practically write themselves: Pete Davidson Says Weed Gave Him Psychosis or Lil Nas X Hospitalized After Smoking Potent Weed. The implication is obvious-weed is dangerous, high-THC weed is terrifying, and maybe it should be regulated even more than it already is.