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There is a dangerous undercurrent dragging Americans who wade into the political waters out toward the extreme. But much of the national press, basking ashore on the sun-soaked beach, refuses to acknowledge it in a serious manner.

Instead, many journalists have grown comfortable glossing over the treacherous rip tide lurking beneath the surface of the water before their very eyes. They report that scores of swimmers have been dragged into the menacing waters of the deep sea, but never do they acknowledge the conditions that led them there.

It's as if identifying the cause of the calamity is too much to ask. It is, apparently, a bridge too far. The invisible, yet threatening, forces must remain invisible.

That's how reading and watching much of the coverage of the Iowa caucuses came across. Yes, the national political press pointed to an alarming entrance poll showing that an overwhelming majority — 66% — of GOP caucusgoers do not accept Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election. And yes, the news media accurately noted that Donald Trump maintains a firm grip over the Republican Party, despite inciting an insurrection and being ensnared in a messy web of legal battles, among other things.

But crucial coverage of the grave undercurrent in GOP politics that propelled the caucusgoers far outside the Overton window — believing that the duly elected president is not actually the duly-elected president, despite countless fact-checks and court rulings — received little-to-no attention. While one might expect the poll to set off alarm bells and deep soul-searching about the fate of the nation's democracy, the press failed to interrogate the issue in a real way.

Embarrassingly, Ron DeSantis has done more in recent days than most in the press to call attention to the matter. The Florida governor accurately noted last week that Republican voters operate in a dishonest information environment in which Trump receives little criticism, but plenty of praise. 

Of course, the observation from DeSantis, himself a culture warrior who has refrained from assailing Trump in a meaningful way while contributing generously to public distrust of the press, is rich. But that doesn't mean it isn't right on the mark.

On a daily basis, cable channels such as Fox News, a stable of national and local talk-radio hosts, an assortment of online influencers, and a network of online outlets such as Breitbart dump reams of toxic waste into the national discourse. That is not without consequence. 

The propaganda machine supporting Trump has deceived the GOP, twisting the party into believing outright lies that have been publicly rebuked by the former president's one-time confidantes. But, instead of identifying the crux of the matter and vigorously calling it out, most major newsrooms demur when presented with repeated evidence of its corrosive and widespread effects.

It goes without saying that there are many reasons for this reality. For one, it is still perhaps uncomfortable to acknowledge the depths of dishonesty in which much of right-wing media now operates. More importantly, however, most news organizations are terrified of being perceived as biased — and delivering such a fact set to viewers could contribute to distrust among Republicans (though it's likely they already do distrust the press).

Whatever the reason, it should not translate into coverage of paramount importance failing to be transmitted to audiences. The news media's duty is to deliver the plain facts, regardless of fear or favor or anything else standing in its way. Choosing to back down and ignore the hazardous conditions offshore amounts to a dereliction of duty.

Unfortunately, that is precisely what so much of the press continues to do. The country is at risk of drowning — and the press watches from the shore, unwilling to sound the alarm about the insidious forces plunging Americans into the stormy seas. 

———  BELOW THE FOLD  ———

New Deals for Newsmax: Right-wing television network Newsmax, which is facing a pair of mammoth lawsuits for repeatedly airing 2020 election lies, boasted Tuesday that it had renewed carriage distribution deals with "ALL major cable operators." The outlet directed people to a CableFax report that quoted the channel's boss, Chris Ruddy, saying renewal deals had been quietly struck with Comcast, Charter, DISH, and Verizon Fios. Ruddy didn't disclose the terms of the agreement, but said the network was "pleased with the result and we think the company will have financial success as a result of this." Read the CableFax story here.

🔎 Zooming in: Regardless of the financial terms, it's remarkable that major companies are willing to do business with the right-wing channel, which has a lengthy record of deceiving viewers who turn to it for news and information. After the insurrection, major companies took action to no longer fund those who had contributed to election denialism. But, with this move, businesses such as Comcast and Verizon are indicating they're happy to distribute Newsmax's dishonest coverage to the masses. And that says a lot about them.

Seeing Vision Pro: A new batch of hands-on reviews of Apple's ambitious Vision Pro were released Tuesday — and all indications are that the headset is set to deliver breathtaking experiences. The Verge's Victoria Song noted that she "did, in fact, flinch when a T. Rex made eye contact" with her during a demonstration showing off the company's "Prehistoric Planet" series. And Engadget's Cherlynn Low and Dana Wollman noted that Disney+ has developed an experience that allows viewers to watch a "Star Wars" movie on Tattooine, or a Marvel flick from the Avengers Tower. In one demo, the duo said Alicia Keys performed "the most special of performances: just for us, in a living room." Which is all to say, it seems that the Vision Pro could help usher in an entirely new way of consuming content.

► One observation from Wollman stood out to me: "In a different series of videos — these meant to demonstrate spatial video — we saw the same family at mealtime, and a mother and daughter outside, playing with bubbles. As I watched these clips, particularly the family home videos that reminded me of my own toddler, I felt immersed, yes, but also excluded; no one in the videos sees you or interacts with you, obviously. You are a ghost. I imagined myself years from now, peering in from the future on bygone videos of my daughter, and felt verklempt. I did not expect to get teary-eyed during a routine Apple briefing."

Tiny Numbers for TV's Biggest Night: It looks like the Emmys fell victim to an oversaturated programming lineup on Monday night. The annual awards show, which competed for attention with the NFL playoffs and coverage of the Iowa caucuses, was watched by an average of only 4.3 million viewers on Fox — the lowest ratings on record. The awards ceremony had also been delayed from its typical September telecast due to the dual strikes in Hollywood. But it wasn't all bad news, comedian host Anthony Anderson received mostly positive reviews for his turn on the stage, honoring television history. THR's Rick Porter has more here.

Thank you for reading! This newsletter was edited by Jon Passantino and produced with the assistance of Liam Reilly. Have feedback? Send us an email. You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn. We will see you back in your inbox tomorrow.