Some media outlets have lately felt like local politicians don't want to talk to them anymore. This has led journalists to wonder what exactly is going on, and if politicians are avoiding media that will question them.
On Wednesday, "The Show" talked with media literacy expert and Webster University professor Julie Smith about the phenomenon of politicians avoiding media.
"The main reason is that they don't need you anymore," Smith said. "It used to be and it's really interesting, too, because when FDR started having his fireside chats, he got so much criticism from what we consider mainstream or legacy media. Because he was skipping them. He was jumping over them and talking directly to the people."
Smith compared it to the criticism Trump faced for communicating with the public via Twitter. She said around 62% of people now get their news from social media platforms, rendering legacy media less important than it used to be.
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Smith said that journalism has always been looked at as the "fourth estate" that holds people accountable -- but not everyone wants that anymore.
"People want to hear affirmation for what they already think and feel and how they vote. So conservatives are going to pay more attention to conservative outlets, and liberals are going to pay more attention to liberal outlets, because they're not challenged," she said. "Nobody wants to be challenged. Not just the politicians, but the the viewers and consuming the news as well."
Listen to more on the state of media from expert Julie Smith on "The Show." Plus, hear more from Julie Smith on her podcast with KMOX's Megan Lynch, "What the Media!??!"
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