The Erosion of Shared Reality: Bari Weiss and the Post-Liberal Media Order
The American media landscape is undergoing a basic shift, abandoning even the pretense of objectivity in favor of overt ideological alignment. this trend, exemplified by the recent appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News, signals a dangerous escalation into a “post-Shared reality” future where details is increasingly shaped by the preferences of powerful owners and the rise of artificial intelligence.
For years, a certain strain of “liberal media” – not the caricature of the right, but a center-left press – has operated on a foundation of policing populist and radical elements while maintaining a veneer of objectivity. This media, while often flawed and even reactionary in its aggregate, historically reserved some resources for genuine investigative journalism covering the marginalized and holding power accountable. It at least pretended to value institutional credibility, scientific accuracy, and a common understanding of facts.
However, this pretense – representing roughly 10% of its output – appears to be dissolving. While the long-term consequences remain uncertain, documenting this decline is crucial, as it portends a grim future for informed public discourse. The installation of Weiss at CBS News is the latest, and perhaps most brazen, indicator of this shift.
The change is no longer necessary, a calculation likely informed by the broader media landscape. As Larry Ellison gains control of the TikTok algorithm and explores acquiring Warner Bros. Revelation – the parent company of CNN and HBO – the need for journalistic pretense diminishes, replaced by overwhelming media control, AI-generated content, and the reliable draw of popular entertainment like sports and sitcoms. In this model, the distinction between liberal and right-wing propaganda becomes increasingly irrelevant. A similar trend is unfolding at The Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, which is reportedly embracing right-wing ideology and Silicon Valley narratives with little apparent consequence.
This lack of pushback against attacks on liberal institutions is striking,as noted by a quote from Donald Trump shared on X/Twitter: “I thought [I] would be met with fury on the left,but they’re sort of giving up…There’s been no fight.”
At its core, liberalism has historically functioned as a reformist force, channeling populist energy into manageable outlets to preserve the status quo. While capable of facilitating genuine progress, it often settles for superficial changes, operating more in the realm of public relations and counterinsurgency than substantive policy.the nonprofit world and the media have traditionally served as key vehicles for this approach, diverting anger over issues like inequality and imperialism into reformist initiatives funded by liberal billionaires. corporate media, while often complicit, historically allocated a small percentage of its resources to covering these issues, offering a semblance of balance and validating the concerns of the disaffected. This was coupled with a robust carceral state, serving as a “stick” to the “carrot” of nonprofitism, employing mass surveillance and harsh punishments to suppress unsanctioned dissent.
However, this arrangement is unraveling. The “carrot” of liberal reform is increasingly being replaced by the “stick” of repression, as liberal billionaires withdraw funding from nonprofits while the Trump management targets these organizations with legal challenges and accusations of “left-wing terrorism.” this shift is further exacerbated by the ongoing genocide in Gaza, which has eroded the credibility of the so-called “rules-based order” and emboldened reactionary forces. The ADL’s defense of Elon Musk’s Nazi salute, due to his pro-Israel stance, is cited as a notably egregious example of this moral compromise.
Weiss’s appointment at CBS News is symptomatic of this broader shift in elite tactics and ideological production.While the pretense of liberal credibility persists, it is rapidly losing its hold. The rise of AI-assisted surveillance systems, like those developed by Palantir, and the proliferation of AI-generated content further diminish the need for refined, nuanced journalism. if the underclasses can be neutralized through surveillance, incarceration, and a constant stream of “slop” – low-quality, easily digestible content – then the value of autonomous media and critical thinking diminishes. In a world where reality can be manufactured through ownership of the means of production – whether it’s CBS, CNN, or TikTok – the pursuit of truth becomes secondary to the maintenance of power.
