Tressie McMillan Cottom joins Geoff Bennett for our ‘Settle In’ podcast

Key Concepts

• Attention Economy: The concept that human attention is a scarce resource that can be bought and sold, particularly within the media landscape.
• Wealth Inequality & Political Influence: The disproportionate impact of wealth on political decision-making and regulation.
• Civic Core of Media: The idea that media should serve a public service function beyond profit maximization.
• Political Exhaustion & Agency: The feeling of being overwhelmed by negative news and the importance of active participation as an antidote.
• Passive vs. Active Information Consumption: The distinction between simply receiving information and taking action based on it.

The Monetization of Attention and Political Choices

The discussion centers on the decline of trust in institutions and the current state of political dysfunction, framing it not solely as a consequence of an overstimulated attention span, but as a result of deliberate political choices. Tressie McMillan Cottom argues that while the media economy does reward “cheap emotion-driven content over meaningful information and news,” this outcome wasn’t inevitable. It was a “political choice not to regulate technology companies,” a failure shared by both Democrats and Republicans.

This inaction, Cottom contends, stems from “extreme wealth inequality and the extent to which money has infiltrated our systems of governance, and certainly campaign financing.” The willingness to “cede our attention in the name of money” has created a situation where capturing public attention for truthful reporting is increasingly difficult. She emphasizes this isn’t a natural phenomenon but a consequence of power imbalances: “that I, again, a lesson about what happens when one side has more power than another.”

Cottom directly challenges the notion that focusing on platforms like TikTok is a sufficient explanation, stating it “lets a lot of political actors off the hook.” She asserts that establishing a “civic core” to the media ecosystem and resisting the erosion of “privacy and…citizenship rights” to artificial intelligence are also political choices within our control.

The Trump Administration as a Revealing Case Study

While not explicitly detailed, the conversation implicitly positions the Trump administration as a prime example of the consequences of this dynamic. The administration’s success in capturing and maintaining attention through emotionally charged rhetoric and disregard for traditional media norms is presented as a symptom of the system described – a system that rewards sensationalism over substance. The transcript doesn’t offer specific examples of Trump administration policies, but frames the era as a period where the described power dynamics were particularly visible.

Combating Political Exhaustion Through Active Engagement

Geoff asks about “renewal” in the face of widespread political exhaustion. Cottom refutes the common prescription of “self-care” as a retreat – “solve your problems with a bubblebath” – arguing that this approach is fundamentally flawed. She draws on “research, history and art” to support the counterintuitive idea that exhaustion often stems not from too much awareness, but from too little action.

She posits that the constant stream of “passive information” contributes to exhaustion, while active engagement provides an antidote. “The antidote I think to political exhaustion…is that we are getting so much passive information, and we have so few opportunities to act. We are tired then not from doing too much but from doing too little.”

Actionable Steps & Examples of Engagement

Cottom provides concrete examples of how to combat this exhaustion: “go to a protest” or, if concerned about a policy harming children, “start teaching children how to read.” The core principle is that actively working towards change, “doing something…in your space in the world,” reduces the feeling of helplessness and overwhelm. She highlights that those who engage actively are “not as easily tired or overwhelmed.” The power dynamic shifts when individuals move from being passive recipients of information to active agents of change.

The Power of Action & Information Warfare

Cottom concludes by emphasizing that the current information environment “wins when it can convince you that the only thing you can do is watch what is happening to you.” This statement underscores the idea that inaction is a strategic advantage for those benefiting from the status quo. Active participation, therefore, is not merely a matter of personal well-being, but a crucial element in challenging existing power structures.

This conversation, as presented in the excerpt, frames the current political climate as a product of deliberate choices rather than inevitable consequences, and offers a path towards renewal through active engagement and a re-evaluation of the role of media in a democratic society.