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But it wasn't continuously bad, or at least that's the impression I get. Yellow journalism reached it's heyday in the 1890's but started turning things around towards respectability in the 1900's.

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And then returned in the 1990's with the 24 hour news networks.

More the removal of the fairness doctrine.

I don't think this gets mentioned enough. Rush Limbaugh was the result of the doctrine's abolition. You can draw a straight line from Limbaugh to Fox News, et al.

WNYC's "One the Media" have done just this:

"How Rush Limbaugh Paved The Way For Trump" (2021)

<https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/episodes/how-rush-l...>

Audio: <https://chrt.fm/track/53A61E/pdst.fm/e/dts.podtrac.com/pts/r...> (MP3)

Even if it was left in place it would have become increasingly a joke as non-broadcast news grew in the form of cable rollouts and the internet.

You’re ignoring the power am radio has had on the political landscape.

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