Mainstream media's crippling weakness

Wikipedia: False equivalence is an informal fallacy in which an equivalence is drawn between two subjects based on flawed or false reasoning. This fallacy is categorized as a fallacy of inconsistency. Colloquially, a false equivalence is often called "comparing apples and oranges."

The profit motive is incompatible with unfettered professional journalism, a point I have argued here for years. I argue it again. The AP writes about CNN cancelling its Reliable Sources news program hosted for nine years by Brian Stelter:

Stelter said that it was not partisan to stand up for decency, democracy and dialogue.

“It’s not partisan to stand up to demagogues,” he said. “It’s required. It’s patriotic. We must make sure we don’t give platforms to those who are lying to our faces. But we also must make sure we are representing the total spectrum of debate and representing what’s going on in the country and the world.”

It was Stelter’s most direct reference to what is believed to be the reason for his demise; CNN hasn’t talked publicly about it. Since he started this spring, new CNN chief executive Chris Licht has made clear he wants to tone down opinion, particularly as it made Republicans resistant to the network.

Stelter, who wrote a book about Fox News Channel and was frequently critical of Fox, was a lightning rod for conservatives’ complaints.

Some of his final “Reliable Sources” guests were more direct. Eric Deggans, NPR television critic, said he hopes CNN will continue to give viewers context and not be reduced to false equivalency. “Just the facts” isn’t enough, he said.

In my opinion, Reliable Sources was reasonably reliable and not particularly controversial. It was mostly grounded in fact and defensible reasoning. That the Republican Party has gone off its rocker and turned to demagoguery, mendacity, bigotry and fascism is not debatable any more. That radical right crackpots and liars vehemently dispute undisputable facts does not change fact and truth into falsehoods and lies.

CNN has caved in to the profit motive at the expense of the public interest. Unspun professional journalism is simply not compatible with the profit motive. CNN abandons unspun truth for money and in the process betrays democracy, the rule of law and civil liberties.

Q: Should the total spectrum of debate treat lies and crackpottery the same as truth and sound reasoning, or does that amount to false equivalence or some other form of flawed reasoning?