“Rage bait” makes money for big media corporations - and that’s a very bad thing!

Years ago, Robert Reich was being filmed in a debate with a conservative. When they found more to agree on than disagree on, the TV producer shouted in his earbud, “More anger!” When Reich later asked why, she said “It’s why people tune in. An angry fight attracts more viewers than a calm discussion…Advertisers want this.” At that point, Reich lost his temper and refused to appear on the program ever again.

Today, the situation is much worse. Media corporations seek out and pay online creators for making rage bait. The more effective the content is, the more the creator gets paid.

A new feature on X permits users to see where accounts originate. Last week it showed that a number of high-engagement MAGA accounts, claiming to be those of patriotic Americans, are in fact from Russia, Eastern Europe, India, Nigeria, Thailand, and Bangladesh.

Big media corporations choose shareholder returns over the common good. In concluding, Reich lays out five remedies for making rage less profitable, which may be the only way to stop them.

https://robertreich.substack.com/p/the-monetization-of-rage