Opinion: Why the media wants you angry, and what you can do about it

By Easton Martin | June 16, 2026

The media landscape has reached a point of systemic failure. What was once intended to be a public service has largely devolved into a highly profitable mechanism for emotional manipulation. It is easy to look at the endless cycle of breaking news and feel a sense of despair, but understanding the nature of the beast is the first step toward reclaiming your peace of mind.

​As someone who follows politics, news, and current events, take it from me: ​Don’t concern yourself with all of the news and all of the things going on. That may sound silly coming from someone who is entrenched in the cesspool, but take my advice. You cannot spend your life dwelling on all of the fake news, all of the gossip and slander. I read things about people I know, people I work for, that are as close to a straight up lie as you can get. 

The media is a machine which feeds on lies. It feeds on attention, on vitriol, and just being generally disgruntled. Even outlets which label themselves as “Christian” have no problem lying, slandering, irresponsibly framing, and distorting the truth. My point is, politics, media, and journalism are all uniquely equipped to manipulate and enrage people. Sometimes you just have to deal with that and not let it bother you.

​This distortion happens because the business model demands it. When metrics and clicks dictate revenue, nuance dies. Algorithms are explicitly designed to favor content that triggers outrage, meaning that peaceful accuracy is routinely discarded in favor of sensationalized conflict. The rot is not confined to one political side or a single ideology; it spans across secular and religious institutions alike, proving that the incentive structure itself is corrupted.

​Ultimately, the media only possesses the power that you surrender to it. By choosing where to direct your attention and refusing to take the bait of engineered outrage, you break the cycle. You do not owe the news machine your peace, your anger, or your time. Step back, focus on the immediate world around you, and let the machine of malice spin its wheels endlessly. Your life is worth more than what the media wants you to sell your soul for.