It’s not totally their fault. But journalism is now a niche industry.

We complain about the failures of journalism to deliver hard news in a fair manner. But when you’re in the boutique business it isn’t necessary. In fact, if many mainstream news outlets started to appeal to a broader audience they’d destroy the niche market they created. Let’s illustrate with a random analogy.

There are more than a comfortable number of people who believe the earth is flat. Apologies in advance to flat-earth believers for selecting that niche as an example. We can easily prove the earth is round. The Greek mathematician Eratosthenes who was born in 276 B.C. figured it out a long time ago. But no amount of proof would be sufficient for this niche group.

A study published in Scientific American found that 84% of Americans believe the earth is round. Another 5% believe the world is round but are skeptical while 2% believe the earth is flat but are skeptical. Another 7% aren’t sure either way. A firm 2% believe the earth is flat. It’s both disturbing and amusing.

If you’re a flat-earther, it’s not about fact. It’s a religion. There are flat-earth conventions. Flat-earth societies exist. They consume specialized content to fuel their religion. If you are the only guy who sells flat-earth T-shirts, you can make a small fortune marketing to this small niche.

If you’re offering very specialized goods then you can provide those goods at premium prices to a narrow market. It doesn’t have to be true. It doesn’t have to be fair. More often it is better not to be fair. Two percent of flat-earthers can draw a lot of attention to themselves making prodigious claims. It just has to be targeted. That’s today’s journalistic product.

If MSNBC started reporting the president’s success on prison reform, donating his salary, peace agreements or any number of positive story lines, they’d lose a large part of their audience. Journalists must deliver the news their particular audience demands.

Conversely, if Fox news failed to cover conservative content, they’d also slip as the leader in news. Fox news leads the conservative market. The other networks compete over what is left. This divergence is a problem for the livelihoods of journalists.

Fox has received its own criticism from conservatives at times. But it’s still a conservative island in the middle of an ocean of liberal media. It takes the other networks combined to equal Fox ratings. So, when you see the other networks scrambling to see who can be the most liberal leaning, it’s because they are competing for what’s left.

Recall the media criticized President Trump for staffing his cabinet with generals and wanting a military parade. He loved the military too much. Suddenly they report he said something negative about the military two years ago with anonymous sources that even John Bolton refuted. And there is no love lost between Bolton and Trump.

Even more recently President Trump is criticized for encouraging Americans to remain calm during the pandemic. With a straight face the same networks praise Biden for saying the exact same thing. Facts don’t matter anymore. Left-wing media have a product they must sell at any cost.

A democracy needs a strong press. But when that press becomes a predictable propaganda machine, it has failed itself and the republic. It is no longer strong.

Ironically, it isn’t completely the fault of the press. The ubiquitous spread and speed of the internet has rendered many outlets obsolete and scrambling for limited ad dollars. In many ways, niche news is actually keeping journalism alive for major outlets. The goal of national news isn’t to keep their audience informed. The goal is to keep their audience happy. It’s another reason to support local journalism.

Denzel Washington got it right. He said if you don’t read the news you’re uninformed. If you do read the news you’re misinformed.

Phillip Stephens is chairman of the Robeson County Republican Party.