Corporate media outlets ‘part of the US power structure,’ journalist Ben Norton tells RT

From attacking whistleblower Julian Assange, to doggedly supporting Washington’s foreign policy lines, to beating the dead horse on Russiagate, journalist Ben Norton tells RT the corporate media isn't designed to tell the truth.

“Corporate media outlets exist for one reason, it’s not to inform people, its to make money,” Norton says, and the easiest way to do this is to “echo the US government’s line.”

While it might seem like mainstream journalists are just doing their jobs badly, in reality, Norton argues, they are doing exactly what they are paid to do.

“The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, these are the corporate media outlets that are part of the US power structure, they are part of how the government operates.”

Norton adds that those who do offer a real and serious challenge to the system, like Julian Assange, actually end up being punished for it.

“Julian Assange has shown that it's possible for journalists to challenge power at its core, and that is why he has been so demonized and smeared,” he explains. Despite their efforts, however, Norton says that most people have caught on to the truth, which is why public trust in the mainstream media has reached record lows.