Flat light is when there is little or no contrast between highlight and shadow.
In photography it's a rookie error that produces 'boring' images.
On a ski slope it creates a dreary and unsettling effect that saps skiers' confidence.
In both cases it limits our time to deeply understanding the subject at hand.
Dramatic light is the opposite. It is capable of immediately tricking our brain into believing in a false reality. Theater costume designers and stage lighting designers work together to make sure that the fabric color and the lighting color on a scene create the intended colors for the audience. For example, green and white fabrics will appear convincingly brown and red under dramatic red light.
This is what's happening in the media.
Each outlet shines a different light on the same subject. By flipping between the channels the contrast sides speeds our own time to understanding but it also deepens the divide.
Therein exists the challenge...would flat light be any better?