Musician says that “there are no alternative facts, only facts” and claims that TV presenters today are more telegenic than journalists
On different occasions, Paul Stanley declared himself a critic of the way the press works in the United States. In the most recent comment on the topic, the singer and guitarist of Kiss blamed the media for the current state of political polarization in the country.
The subject was addressed in an interview with the Rock of Nations podcast with Dave Kinchen and Shane McEachern (via Blabbermouth). The musician was invited to reflect on a previous publication on the networks where he had called for unification after the end of the US elections, won by donald trump.
During reflection, Stanley lamented that “a country so big is divided”. Subsequently, he assigned responsibility “largely” to the media.
“I may be very naive, but the beginning of real-time news transformed the news into something like Entertainment Tonight (an American celebrity coverage outlet). It’s become polished to the point where the presenters are just telegenic, not journalists.”
In Stanley’s view, “There are no alternative facts, only facts”. For him, however, today it is impossible to know “who or where are the true facts coming from”.
“This is very disconcerting. It is no coincidence that the country is divided and that both halves receive news from different sources. I don’t know what the solution is, but I hope people stop seeing those with different opinions as enemies. We have always respected other opinions. I haven’t always agreed with everyone who’s been president, but I’ve never seen them as disingenuous or sinister. It reached a boiling point.”
One of the interviewers even asked if Paul would support the return of “fairness doctrine” (“impartiality doctrine”), instituted in 1949 in the United States to require the broadcast of controversial issues of public interest in the media and in a way that reflects different points of view. The concept was abolished in 1987 and some experts argue that this contributed to political polarization in the country. Stanley stated:
“I don’t know the answer. I believe that [o ex-presidente Ronald] Reagan was involved in ending this doctrine. But whatever serves the truth, I support. I don’t have to agree with the truth, but I deserve to have it.”
Paul Stanley and media objectivity
At the beginning of 2024, Paul Stanley had already spoken out against the dissemination of false or unverified information on social media. The musician also defended that facts should not be confused with opinions. On X/Twitter, he stated:
“Let’s stop this ‘I’m entitled to my opinion’ thing. If you have not done your own research based on reliable facts or simply repeat what you have been told, YOU are part of the problem and the damage it causes. We all deserve more from each other.”
In August 2022, the comment was more direct regarding the media. The vocalist and guitarist pointed out that the main US media outlets are partial, mentioning in images Fox News, CNN and MSNBCmajor cable news broadcasters. In the caption, he stated:
“WANT TO HAVE A MORE UNIFIED COUNTRY? Get more unified news! Not poisonous fights and biased distortions on BOTH sides. How can we form educated views when we are not getting the unbiased truth? We don’t need networks promoting opinions. We need FACTS.”
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
