CNN ran this ridiculous headline recently: The American Dream is Out of Reach. In the piece, they cited their own poll that found that 63% of Americans between ages 18 and 34 believe the American Dream (whatever that might mean to them) is unattainable.

They might feel that way because the media screams various economic doom and gloom daily. The stock markets are setting records nearly daily, but headlines are about impending crashes, crises, and disasters. This is what the media does — bad news brings higher ratings than good news. I wrote a Chicago Tribune column for years, and it was syndicated to over 300 publications around the world. I understand these things from the inside.

The less big media you consume, the more attainable the American Dream will feel to you.

Meanwhile, over at the highly-visited financial forum Bogleheads, young people precisely within the age range referenced in the CNN survey are amassing high-six-and-seven-figure investment portfolios. They earn moderate wages, many with combined family incomes below $100,000. They don’t spend extravagantly. They save aggressively. And they invest intelligently, for the long haul. They don’t react to market ups and downs, and they ignore the habitually short-sighted, ratings-starved, disaster-oriented big media.

They’re getting rich. Many of them are already living the American Dream.

I know I am.

Less big media, more smart media like the investment forum I reference above, will take you a long way towards the goal:

The eminently attainable American Dream!