Apparently a misquote. What he actually wrote was: [The increase...

Apparently a misquote. What he actually wrote was: [The increase in exposure to news] does not make for better "understanding" of our contemporary affairs. On the contrary, it can be argued that in some respects "understanding" - in the sense of possessing the subjective confidence that one can evaluate events on the basis of some organized principle - is today much more difficult for most people to attain. Instant but vicarious participation in events evokes uncertainty, especially as it becomes more and more apparent that established analytical categories no longer adequately encompass the new circumstances.

Bit more nuanced dont you think.