The case for government-owned media

after the 2020 election, Hannity was “privately disgusted by Trump for weeks, but was scared to lose viewers.” Perhaps the most revealing text from the Dominion lawsuit though was from Tucker Carlson, who — after a Fox reporter fact-checked a false claim about election fraud — wrote, “Please get her fired. … The stock price is down. Not a joke.” These are just a few examples of many, but they showcase how Fox knowingly spread false information about the 2020 election to maintain viewership and increase profits.

While it’s tempting to believe this prioritization of profit over ethical journalism applies only to conservative media like Fox News, other media companies do it too, albeit to a far lesser degree. Consider CNN, which often chooses to treat politics like a sport between two sides. This makes sense from a business standpoint: This approach can make news coverage more entertaining and lead to increased viewership.

Now, the time has come for a coordinated Africa strategy. In recent weeks, reporting has stepped up about China’s fading investments in Africa. Chinese loan commitments to African nations have fallen in the last few years, as fears grow in Beijing over the ability of debtors to pay loans back, and China pivots to dealing with the aftermath of its COVID19-related economic slowdown. Although Xi Jinping has already attempted to reassure African nations of a Chinese commitment to their economic security, Washington has nonetheless recognized this as a key opening to regain regional trust, sending Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield to Africa and pledging $55 billion in investment. Meanwhile, the Wagner Group, which had been regarded as Russia’s primary arm of influence in Africa, is

However, this perspective fails to reckon with the fact that politics and political elections have serious consequences for millions of people; treating politics like sports can also leave viewers confused and unclear as to what is going on. While CNN’s actions are not nearly as egregious as those of Fox News, it is another example of how the profit incentive in media can be problematic. Perhaps the most common example of profit incentives influencing journalism is clickbait headlines, which researchers at the University of Mississippi found have grown increasingly common in mainstream media. While they draw viewers and clicks, they often don’t accurately represent the article.

In American society, the goal of corporations is ultimately to maximize profits. This means that when for-profit news organizations are faced with choices where increased profit does not align with the ethical way to present under threat of depletion as its forces are helping Russia in the battle for Bakhmut in Ukraine, undermining the role of Washington’s other global competitor in Africa.

The current moment is opportune for Washington to recommit to Africa. Developing countries currently face a $40 trillion infrastructure investment gap. Investment led by the U.S. through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment can help close the gap while pressuring China to improve its practices by creating an alternative to its Belt and Road Initiative that adheres to labor and environmental standards. And already, as mentioned earlier, sizable investment commitments have been made.

However, even now, the United States must be careful to manage its African commitment properly. Most foreign aid goes anywhere but to for- news, organizations will mostly choose profit (like Fox News did). However, this is inherently problematic because journalists need to do what’s best for society. As the fourth estate, they inform the public and as such are vital protectors of democracy. The Washington Post sums up the need for good journalism well in its motto: “Democracy dies in darkness.”

Fortunately, there is a solution to this dilemma in journalism: government-funded media. Since such media wouldn’t be motivated by profit, they could inform society in an objective and beneficial way, even if doing so isn’t immensely profitable. Many other countries understand the importance of having trusted nonprofit media to ensure a society with informed citizens: The UK, Norway and Sweden spend a significantly larger share of their GDP on public media than the United States. Furthermore, trusted public media can decrease partisanship. Even in today’s polarized eign governments, as D.C., like Beijing, remains worried about defaults and foreign corruption. environment, government-funded media like PBS continues to be trusted across both sides of the aisle. Thus, increasing government spending on media would not only create a better-informed society but also decrease partisan polarization as well.

In response, Washington could increase guarantees of sovereign bonds, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should expand the Economic Support Fund, both of which are fairly cost effective measures. On top of this, unlike the Belt and Road Initiative, America must support more than just physical infrastructure, which has not produced strong results. A good place to start would be building up multilateral institutions while including local actors as members, reinforcing transparency and empowering Africa to take control of its own destiny. The United States should also leverage its advantage over China in institutions of higher education by welcoming and training foreign students and building a network of sympathetic next-generation global leaders.

Some may critique government-funded media by arguing such media would never seriously criticize the government, as it is reliant on it for its funding. While this is rational in theory, this doesn’t actually occur in practice. For example, the BBC, funded by the UK government, had no hesitation in grilling Liz Truss, the former British prime minister, in interviews or reporting on government scandals that plagued former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s administration. As trust in media declines, partisanship increases and the bulk of mainstream media continues to put profit first, it is time for the American government to take steps toward creating and funding more public media.

All the while, the United States cannot lose sight of its own values as it focuses on competition with China and Russia. A report from earlier this month suggests that the temptation in D.C. is growing to support president Mahamat Idriss Debey of Chad to deny Russia another win in Africa. This would be a grave mistake, as Mahamat has engaged in persecution of protestors and extrajudicial killings, with Washington’s support for him offering Russia an opportunity to criticize American hypocrisy. The United States, to win in the Global South — and across the rest of the world for that matter — has to learn to truly set the rules of the road with an affirmative vision, not just respond to perceived threats.