Big Think News media wants to keep you angry, anxious, and depressed | Amanda Ripley
22 snips
Oct 6, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Amanda Ripley, a New York Times bestselling author and co-founder of Good Conflict, uncovers the troubling state of American news media. She highlights how the current news cycle often fosters anxiety and depression, revealing alarming stats about declining trust across political lines. Ripley advocates for renewed journalistic practices that emphasize hope and dignity. She suggests that a community-focused approach could restore faith in media and better serve the public's needs.
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News Trust Erosion Crisis
- No national news outlet is trusted by more than half of American adults today.
- Without a common sense of reality, solving societal problems becomes very difficult and makes people vulnerable to exploitation.
Amanda Ripley’s News Experience
- Amanda Ripley once loved consuming news as a way to stay connected and curious.
- By 2016, she felt the news cycle only intensified divisions and drained her energy.
Avoidance and Polarization in News
- More Americans are avoiding the news due to politics, negativity, and distrust.
- Political polarization accelerates trust decline, energizing voters but deepening societal divisions.
