Unlearn16: Class is in Session

Episode: The One Where I Paint Some Yellow Journalism
Host: Unlearn16
Release Date: April 14, 2026

Episode Overview

This solo episode features Unlearn16 diving deep into the history, economics, and ethics of news media, with a focus on the phenomenon of yellow journalism. Through historical examples and sharp commentary, the host connects past and present patterns in journalism, propaganda, and public engagement with media. With characteristic wit, Unlearn16 challenges listeners to examine their own responsibility in media consumption and questions the appetite for uncomfortable truths in society. The episode ends with a proposed, if imperfect, solution for restoring integrity to news.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Ever-Present Problem of Curated News

• Media Power Dynamics: Since the inception of organized news and information delivery, the curation and control of media has rested with those holding money and power—not just governments, but private interests whose primary motivation has consistently been profit.
  • "The news and information in general is controlled and curated…by a certain group of people. The people with money, the people with power, in order to do one thing. And that one thing is more money." (06:05)
• Nothing New Under the Sun: The manipulation of information is an age-old tool—what changes is the method, not the motive. The most significant shift in contemporary times is the sheer volume of available information, which now creates confusion and doubt.

The History and Mechanics of Yellow Journalism

• Origins and Intent:

  • Yellow journalism emerged in the late 1800s, notably surrounding events like the Spanish-American War, with an emphasis on sensationalism ("If it bleeds, it leads") and exaggeration to drive sales.
    • "Yellow journalism was this idea that if you sensationalize the heading…you just made it a bit bigger…people would want to buy in." (13:30)
  • The aim: not truth, but profit and entertainment—mirroring the dynamics of advertising and politics.

• Comparisons to Everyday Life:

  • People, whether at job interviews or on first dates, don't always present unfiltered reality—a parallel Unlearn16 draws to the media’s self-promotional storytelling.

Propaganda Through the Ages

World War I—Propaganda and Practicality

• Use of posters and media to recruit and motivate, targeting specific demographics while excluding others (young white men in Canada).
• Social progress was typically made not out of morality but pragmatic necessity:
  • "It doesn't change because we realize we're bigots…It changes because…we need those people to do better. And all of a sudden you get voting rights for women and African Americans…done for practical purposes." (21:45)

World War II—From Adventure to Fighting Evil

• Shift in narratives once previous propaganda tactics lost credibility.
• “Evil” became the selling point; media was carefully curated for television; morality claims remained secondary to economic and political interests.
  • "Say it with me. Because it makes us money." (29:00)
• Even atrocities failed to move governments until their economic or geopolitical interests were threatened.

Gatekeeping in Publishing

• Major publishing houses historically filtered whose voices and stories reached the public, usually favoring the marketable over the meaningful.
  • "They're deciding what has value and what doesn't based on the market of the day. Not what is good, not what is true, not what is brilliant…what will sell." (32:05)

The Television Era—Entertainment Over Information

• Television’s rise in the 1950s-1970s prioritized entertainment, keeping people tuned in for advertisements.
• Advertisers had—and still have—the power to influence content and kill programs that endanger profits or politics.

Vietnam War—The Double-Edged Sword of Televised War

• Emergence of war as “reality TV”; uncensored coverage drew criticism but also glued audiences.
  • "Make no mistake. It had this negative side effect. But the war itself made money…So there's a reason the government didn't have a blanket censorship law…money wins out." (42:30)
• Unprecedented access waned after Vietnam, as governments learned to better control the narrative.

First Televised Debate—The Power of Perception

• The 1960 Nixon vs. JFK debate illustrated that visual presentation can overturn substantive wins—a reality that forever altered political communications.
  • "Anybody who listened to the debate, Nixon won hands down…Anybody that saw that debate said JFK won it hands down…Well, what does that say? Everything." (48:15)

Gulf War and 24-Hour News

• The Gulf War (1991) pioneered heavily curated, looped coverage—propaganda as both control and entertainment, with commercial tie-ins (e.g., trading cards, yellow ribbon campaigns).
  • "Playing cards…You could trade an Osama bin Laden for a George W. Bush…Baseball cards. Yellow Ribbon campaign. They all make money." (01:00:10)

The Internet, 9/11, and the Flood of Information

• Explosion of Sources:

  • With the internet and post-9/11 era, information overflow became both a blessing and a curse.

• From News to Entertainment:

  • Overload led audiences to seek relief in entertainment news, reality TV, and infotainment; real news was perceived as hard work and less appealing.
    • "We turned off real news programs in favor of Fox News because it was entertainment…We did that." (01:14:20)

• Rise of AI and Reality Doubt:

  • The proliferation of AI-generated content has made it increasingly difficult to discern real from fake, undermining public trust in any source.

• Weaponization of “Fake News”:

  • By calling all news into question, especially alongside AI, political actors can render the truth inaccessible and promote loyalty to themselves instead of facts.
    • "If they can't believe anything, then they're truly at the mercy of individuals who can best wield and manipulate a story in order to sell." (01:19:55)

Who's Responsible?

• Public Complicity:
  • Ultimately, Unlearn16 insists, the public plays a central role. Media is market-driven; if audiences demand bite-sized distraction over substance, that’s what will be supplied.
    • "Let's not undervalue the only reason money is getting made…We're buying in. That's us. That's our weakness, that's our failure…We did that." (01:04:45)
• The Uncomfortable Truth:
  • ⮞ "I don't think the public wants the truth…We want comfortable lies. We want a clear enemy…because understanding the truth is exhausting and hard work." (01:22:00)

Memorable Quotes

• On the Never-Changing Motivation:

  • "It is always about money. Even when we talk about war…The goal is always the same." (08:40)

• On Public Demand for News:

  • "People don't necessarily want to buy, understand, go through all of the different levels…We kind of want bite sized versions…We just swallow it and hope it doesn't get caught in our throat. I love a good metaphor." (11:00)

• On Gatekeeping:

  • "The publishing gatekeeping is probably one of the most significant things that nobody ever really talks about…they're deciding what has value…based on the market...what will sell." (32:05)

• On Media Entertainment:

  • "The reason why diversity is so incredibly important in our media outlets…is for diversity of thought…this story in Sri Lanka that you're missing, you don't understand it because you don't understand the culture." (54:35)

• On AI and Truth:

  • "With the advent of AI, you can't trust your eyes, you can't trust your ears…I can't trust a picture anymore. You can't trust a video. And if you can't trust those things, investigative journalism becomes very, very difficult to trust at all." (01:17:10)

• On Our Appetite for Truth:

  • "In this age of we can know everything, we literally almost want to know nothing. We want to think the solutions are simplistic and painless. We want to think technology will save us…" (01:25:05)

Proposed Solutions

Building a Democratic News Culture

• Require at least one consistently funded, independent TV station, immune to government and advertiser pressures, with mandatory diversity of perspective—legally required to correct errors and be publicly accountable.

The Real Barrier: Us

• Even with access to better, more ethical news, Unlearn16 wonders if the public would actually choose to consume it, given prevailing preferences for entertainment, distraction, and easy answers.

  • "Let's assume we could create that…Because the second part of that story that nobody wants to admit…is us. Are we going to watch it?" (01:28:00)

Notable Timestamps

• 06:05: Media control by money and power
• 13:30: Yellow journalism and sensational headlines
• 21:45: Propaganda in World War I—pragmatism over morality
• 29:00: World War II—shift to “fighting evil” narrative
• 42:30: Vietnam War—war as TV spectacle, media’s role
• 48:15: JFK vs. Nixon: the televised debate that changed politics
• 54:35: Crucial importance of diversity in news and hidden biases
• 01:00:10: Gulf War—curated coverage, merchandising war
• 01:14:20: Internet, 9/11 and migration to entertainment news
• 01:17:10: Rise of AI and collapse of trust in evidential media
• 01:19:55: Weaponization of “fake news” and media distrust
• 01:22:00: The public’s desire for comforting fictions
• 01:28:00: The real challenge—does the public want vetted news?

Tone & Style

Unlearn16 delivers a thoughtful, historically grounded, and often sarcastic solo treatise on media manipulation and public complicity. The tone is equal parts wry, exasperated, and passionate, pressing listeners to stop blaming shadowy elites alone and reckon with their own role in perpetuating "yellow journalism" and infotainment.

For New Listeners

If you haven’t heard the episode, expect:

• An engaging, critical, and often humorous journey from the late 19th-century newsrooms to the noisy age of AI-driven disinformation.
• Lots of sharp metaphors, personal asides, and no-nonsense challenges to public complacency.
• A clear-eyed view on why we get the news we deserve—and what it would really take to change it.