The article also highlights the broader issue of trust in media, noting how tech platforms and wealthy individuals have contributed to a decline in public confidence through disinformation and propaganda. It warns that the focus on "trust" and "bias" in media can be a distraction from the real issues of media manipulation by powerful interests. The piece concludes by referencing historian Timothy Snyder's advice against preemptively complying with the desires of the powerful, suggesting that the current media ownership trends in the U.S. are unlikely to heed this warning.
Key takeaways:
```html
- Jeff Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong, both billionaire owners of major news organizations, are influencing their publications to align more with right-wing politics, potentially to benefit their business interests.
- Bezos's intervention in the Washington Post's editorial process and Soon-Shiong's development of an AI "bias meter" reflect a trend of using technology to manufacture objectivity, which experts criticize as flawed and misleading.
- There is skepticism about the effectiveness and scientific grounding of AI tools like bias detectors, with experts warning that they may create an illusion of objectivity rather than addressing actual bias.
- The focus on "trust" and "bias" in the media by tech billionaires may serve as a distraction from their own shortcomings and align with a broader trend of undermining independent media through disinformation campaigns.