Veteran reporter Carl Bernstein (Photo: RealTime/Twitter)
Veteran journalist Carl Bernstein told Bill Maher during Friday's "Real Time," made the argument that Americans are no longer interested in the truth. Rather, he believes voters seek justification for their own thoughts and opinions.
"I don't even know what's real anymore," Maher admitted. He called out Fox News, which has become "state TV" populated with viewers who believe the Russia scandal is completely invented.
"I think we've got a small piece of it with Fox but I think it's much deeper than that," Bernstein began. "We now have a culture in which people, by and large, are increasingly are looking for the best obtainable version of the truth. Too many people are looking for information to underscore what they already believe."
Bernstein noted, however, that far worse is the fact that Americans don't have a culture that is open to the best obtainable version of the truth the way that there was in the era of Watergate.
New York Magazine writer Rebecca Traister explained that during Watergate media consolidation was the reason that a story could become so well known. Today, there aren't simply thousands of television channels but online television, social media and more to compete with what was once a hand full of network shows.
Watch the full conversation below:
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