Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Highlight the Unreliability of the Media

Discovering that you’ve been deceived is a jarring experience. As clarity sets in, emotions can shift from confusion to embarrassment for falling for the ruse, and ultimately to frustration.

Currently, millions of Americans—especially those who focus on celebrity news rather than political affairs—are grappling with these feelings directed at the media, particularly following a holiday break spent following the conflict between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

The “Gell-Mann amnesia effect” describes our tendency to recognize inaccuracies in news articles about familiar subjects while still trusting coverage on less familiar topics.

For instance, a sports fan will immediately notice if a local reporter confuses a touchdown with a home run, revealing the writer—and their editor—lack knowledge about the subject.

However, this realization tends to fade when they switch to financial news or international reports, assuming that same publication’s coverage of areas they know less about is accurate.

As a result, millions of Americans are experiencing the Gell-Mann amnesia effect within entertainment reporting—particularly highlighted by the Lively-Baldoni controversy, leading them to feel deceived.

When “It Ends With Us,” a domestic violence drama featuring the two, was released in August, social media discourse about Lively shifted dramatically to the negative.

The former “Gossip Girl” actress was labeled a bully, divas, and difficult to work with on set.

However, just prior to Christmas, Lively filed a sensational sexual-harassment lawsuit against Baldoni, supported by an extensive, sympathetic exposé in the New York Times, suggesting that much of the negative narrative against her was orchestrated by Baldoni and his public relations team.

The report outlined how publicists manipulate news coverage through meetings with journalists and insider information.

It featured text message exchanges between two publicists working for Baldoni, which appeared to show them conspiring to disseminate negative stories about Lively.

One notable exchange highlighted the two expressing satisfaction over a Daily Mail article criticizing Lively for her “tone-deaf” promotion of “It Ends,” which deals with domestic violence.

A particularly damaging text stated, “You really outdid yourself with this piece,” to which the other publicist responded, “That’s why you hired me right? I’m the best.”

The Times presented these texts in a visually striking format, resembling screenshots, with a small disclaimer reading: “Messages have been edited for length.”

However, on New Year’s Eve, another development surfaced: Baldoni and 10 associates filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the Times in Los Angeles Superior Court. The lawsuit claims that journalists cherry-picked evidence, stripping context from the ostensibly incriminating texts.

The full messages indicate that the publicists were “jokingly taking credit for a story that emerged organically,” according to Variety—and that the Times reporters overlooked emojis and other comments that mitigated their narrative against Baldoni.

This unfolding saga is becoming increasingly complex, resembling a bulldog’s face with its myriad wrinkles.

Countless Americans are captivated by the exchanges between the stars, the controversial Times article, and the conflicting lawsuits. Still, there is a vital lesson to be learned from this situation.

This case serves as a cautionary tale for those who consume news only at a surface level.

All elements of this situation—from the rumors on social media in August to the Times’ reporting and the subsequent revelations from Baldoni’s lawsuit—appear to have been shaped by someone nursing a grudge.

This manipulation is prevalent not only in entertainment news but also in political and broader news reporting.

In the media landscape, there is a perpetual cycle of pressure, manipulation, and sometimes outright deceit from those involved.

Every entity has a motive, including reporters and editors.

Most Americans, falling prey to their Gell-Mann amnesia and absorbing information in snippets, remain unaware that they should approach news with a critical mindset.

However, if they are tuned into the controversial Lively-Baldoni drama, they should start doing so—or at least take heed.

Americans who typically focus on gossip have glimpsed the industry’s inner workings. And that knowledge is hard to ignore.

Bethany Mandel is co-author of “Stolen Youth” and a homeschooling mother of six in the greater Washington, DC area.