Summary: The Young Turks

Now for the opposite side of the political spectrum, The Young Turks will be analyzed. The Young Turks are massively popular, with over 3 million subscribers. They are a full-on news shows, with a much more extensive operation than the solo Mark Dice, with dozens of reporters and hosts who regularly make videos. They analyze the media just as Mark Dice, but they are also a part of the media as they do a significant amount of original reporting. Again, they seem to have the right intentions, but fall into the same traps as Dice does. Unlike Dice, this channel does correctly grasp the concept of fake news, however, similar to Dice, they too tend to make some awfully biased videos, such as videos titled: “Hey Mitch McConnell, You Deserve To Have

He posts several videos every day, some analyzing the media and some of his own original reporting. Some of his videos, like Mark Dice and The Young Turks, are educational and provide useful information. Sadly, most of these educational videos are sprinkled with falsehoods that make them lose their credibility, such as the video: “Bombshell! MSM Caught Making Fake News Websites.” The start of this video provides useful tips on how to avoid fake news websites, however, as the video goes on, the host accuses the Mainstream Media of creating all fake news websites, an accusation for which he provides almost no evidence. The host then goes on to encourage a blind trust in President Trump to provide the real news. Relying on the highest level of government to provide the “real” news is flat out absurd, and that is not a right or a left issue, it is just common sense. Alex Jones has also put out lots of fake news himself, such as a video titled: “Hillary Caught On Tape Birthing Alien Life Form.” Alex Jones is also notorious for his belief in numerous conspiracy theories. Among others, he believes that the tragedy at Sandy Hook was faked,11 using actors, and that 9/11 was an inside job.12 Probably the craziest of them all, he thinks Hillary Clinton is a Satanist demon who regularly praises Lucifer, as he states in videos such as: “Wikileaks Exposes Clinton’s Satanic Network” and “A Vote For Hillary Is A Vote For

When they convince people that they have been lied to, and that they will provide “real” news, a sort of blind trust forms within the viewers. But in reality, these YouTube channels are almost always worse than the major networks. In obtaining your news, it would be best to strike a balance between the big networks such as CNN and CBS News and these smaller YouTube channels, while always remaining skeptical and vigilant. Mark Dice, The Young Turks, and Alex Jones all have successfully fostered a community of skeptical individuals, which in theory sounds great, since holding those in authority is a major key in saving journalism, as stated by Nichols and McChesney in “How to Save Journalism.”16 However, these channels fill the vacuum left by a mistrust in the major networks with lies, spin, and divisive rhetoric, which is very dangerous. One should never put all his or her trust into a single source of news. Don’t just watch the news that will make you feel comfortable. Stretch out, and find a fact or opinion that makes you feel unsettled. In the end, one must remain vigilant and apply strong critical thinking skills to everything reported on. That’s the best way to stay sufficiently