Extremist politicians on both sides get the most airtime

+ can we reach herd immunity without vaccinating children? ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

In the wake of Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory, former CBS president Les Moonves famously said, “It may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS.”

Moonves let slip what many in the media already understood: Money, not concern for democracy, drives coverage. Outrage, controversy and drama draw viewers. And Trump, a media creature himself, was a natural at tapping into this symbiotic relationship. Several of his acolytes, such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, Madison Cawthorn and Lauren Boebert, also seem to keenly understand this relationship between attention and power.

But the problem predates Trump, explain communication scholars Joshua P. Darr, Jeremy Padgett and Johanna Dunaway. They recently completed a study that found that the most extreme members of Congress have for decades received the most attention from TV networks.

This distorts perceptions, warps views and is basically bad for democracy, they write.

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Nick Lehr

Arts + Culture Editor

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks to the press after the House voted to remove her from committee assignments. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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Extremist politicians on both sides get the most airtime

46,218 news transcripts show ideologically extreme politicians get more airtime

Environment + Energy

Bendable concrete and other CO2-infused cement mixes could dramatically cut global emissions

‘Indian Country’ is excited about the first Native American secretary of the interior – and the promise she has for addressing issues of importance to all Americans

Economy + Business

Private planes, mansions and superyachts: What gives billionaires like Musk and Abramovich such a massive carbon footprint

Education

How public schools fail to recognize Black prodigies

Ethics + Religion

Indian farmers are a powerful force in Indian politics, and here’s why their protests matter

Health

Vaccinating children: Is herd immunity to COVID-19 possible without them?

From Our International Editions

If control measures are stopping flu in its tracks, why aren’t they stopping coronavirus?

COVID-19: what happens if some countries don’t vaccinate?

We found the first Australian evidence of a major shift in Earth’s magnetic poles. It may help us predict the next

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