How the Media Shape Our Thinking

The liberal mind is influenced by the New York Times, the conservative mind by the X algorithm—for now.

The purpose of the media is to teach the public how to think. This claim might offend the sensibilities of those who believe that America is a nation of independent minds. But no mind is independent, and in a mass technological society, the public relies on the media to learn how to see the world, interpret events, and make decisions.

Ideally, members of…