Rainn Wilson challenges MSNBC’s Ruhle over declining media faith
In a recent episode of the “Soul Boom” podcast, actor Rainn Wilson confronted MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle regarding the significant decline in trust towards mainstream media, highlighting that 40% of Americans no longer believe in legacy media. Wilson questioned the underlying reasons for this decreasing trust, speculating on its origins. Ruhle attributed the loss of faith in media to a deliberate campaign by the political right, suggesting it is part of a broader attempt to undermine institutions vital for democracy, including media and banking. She noted that figures like Elon Musk contribute to this campaign by encouraging audiences to turn away from conventional news media towards platforms that may spread misinformation.
Wilson countered by criticizing the perceived bias in left-leaning media, specifically referencing how it covered the Biden administration compared to the previous one. He raised concerns over media narratives around issues such as immigration, arguing that many people who voice concerns do not hold racist views but are unfairly labeled as such. The discussion also touched on the mental health impact of media consumption,with Wilson noting that many individuals feel better after disengaging from news. Ruhle pointed out that the privilege to opt out of the news cycle may not be accessible to everyone, emphasizing that this disconnect can have broader implications.
Rainn Wilson challenges MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle over declining faith in media
Actor Rainn Wilson challenged MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle’s idea that a “concerted effort” is responsible for the nation’s declining faith in legacy media.
“Forty percent of Americans don’t trust mainstream media. Why is that?” Wilson, best known for his portrayal of Dwight Schrute on The Office, asked Ruhle on the latest episode of the Soul Boom podcast. “How did we get here?”
“We are seeing a huge loss in trust of all of our institutions,” Ruhle said. “It’s the media. It’s medicine. It’s banking. It’s a huge problem because when you think about Democracy and all of these pillars, they need to stand tall. They need to stand strong, and, sort of, losing that trust is not by accident. It’s by design.”
According to Ruhle, Americans’ lack of faith in mainstream media is the product of “concerted effort” by the Right and allies of President Donald Trump to “destroy” the news media because it is the last line of defense when it comes to holding power accountable.
Ruhle has previously accused Trump of suppressing the media, and the Washington Examiner reported she showed support for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
“You have the Elon Musk media machine because they want you to leave traditional media, and they want you to go to X, which is a bastion of misinformation, where there is no fact-checking,” Ruhle told Wilson. “So, it’s a perfect storm of people saying: ‘I’m angry. I’m frustrated. I’m tuning out. I’m disconnecting.’”
Ruhle said the media must respond by covering what is happening in politics and the White House, but Wilson jumped in, calling out the behavior of leftist media under the administration of former President Joe Biden.
“This is where I would push back,” he said. “When I see this kind of insight and passion being directed at the current administration and the lack of this kind of insight and passion being directed at the previous administration, where, again, I’m not talking about you. I’m talking about left-leaning news media organizations [that] were kind of like, ‘La la la la, everything’s fine. Look, the economy is great, la la la, immigration’s not that much of a problem,’ and really being Cleopatra, queen of denial. Thank you. Boom.”
Immigration is not a good example of hypocrisy, according to Ruhle.
“I can specifically remember when [Republican Govs.] Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida sent those buses of migrants to different cities, different parts of the country, which ended up being politically genius for both of them,” she said. “The media regularly talked about the fact that Biden was not doing enough.”
A large majority of the people who have a problem with the immigration crisis are not racist, but they are “tarred” as being racist by the liberal left and their outlets, according to Wilson.
The actor also called attention to the “toxic relationship” and “mental health connection” to screens and the news.
LIBERAL MEDIA SCREAM: CHRIS MATTHEWS RETURNS MORE UNHINGED THAN EVER
“So many people have come on this show … and said, ‘I don’t watch the news anymore, and my life is so much better. I turn it off. I took Apple News off my phone. I don’t even subscribe … and my life is so much better and richer for it,’” Wilson said.
That idea, itself, is “rich,” Ruhle said. “People of privilege can afford to tune out.”
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Now loading...