What is Thoreau's attitude towards print media?

Thoreau, writing in the nineteenth century, is primarily concerned with newspapers when he writes in Walden that they represent "the mud and slush of opinion," a seemingly endless supply of misinformation through which we must wade in order to identify the truth. Thoreau felt that newspapers focused too heavily on unimportant things and were "base" and sensationalist. Newspapers, he said, having written once about something like a house burning down, would not run another story about a similar event, even if it happened twice—the suggestion being that the newspapers were more concerned with providing base entertainment than about accurately reflecting the happenings of society. Newspapers appalled Thoreau because he felt they were simply a printed gossip mill—at times even disgusting to him—and always presenting a flawed and prejudiced view of the world.
Many of Thoreau's views are relevant to the modern discussion about "fake news"—you may wish to read the article linked below for more on this.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/henry-david-thoreaus-views-of-19th-century-media-resonate_b_598f0271e4b0ed1f464c0af7

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