Steve Krakauer, who holds the position of Executive Producer on the “Megyn Kelly Show,” recently appeared on 77 WABC Radio’s “Greg Kelly Show” to discuss his new book, Uncovered: How the Media Got Cozy with Power, Abandoned Its Principles, and Lost the People. Krakauer argues that the public’s widespread distrust of the media is a significant issue.
During the interview, Krakauer shared with Kelly that he conducted extensive research for his book. He sought input from media professionals and analyzed case studies. He spoke with over two dozen people on the record, including individuals from the New York Times, MSNBC, Washington Post, and Fox News. This research allowed him to understand better what has gone wrong with the media landscape in recent years.
Krakauer identifies five significant problems that have contributed to the public’s loss of trust in the media. He notes that while there were valid criticisms of CNN when he worked there less than ten years ago, something significant has since happened, leading to a broader crisis of trust in the media.
He cites social media and how it can make people into influencers, with all the feedback mechanisms now warped. The Trump phenomenon and getting that so wrong in 2016 is another contributing factor, leading to a polarizing effect that has turned against half the country rather than bringing them into the fold and trying to understand it.
“Don [Lemon] used to be a guy, like an inning’s eater, like a pitcher, where you could just put him on for eight hours, and he would be solid,” said Krakauer. “That was how he was before Trump; he did pretty good interviews with Trump during the primary process.”
Krakauer worked at The Blaze before transitioning to a marketing agency where he focused on social media. In 2019, while living in Dallas, he immersed himself in mainstream media to examine how narratives developed. He expressed his disappointment in the media’s direction and tried to understand what went wrong.
“I think there’s a ton of incuriosity in the media, and I think it unfortunate because, in theory, journalists should be the most curious people,” added Krakauer. Journalists should be nosy, and journalists should be disliked, especially by people in power. You should be a thorn in the side, a little gnat always annoying people.”
