March 7, 2017
As a trained journalist from the old school, I am appalled at what is going on in today's news world. We have a media outlet owned by an arch-conservative "whack job," Rupert Murdoch, an Aussie ExPat who basically obliterated truthful reporting in the U.K, and now has ruined truthful reporting in America via his televised Fox News, which exclusively spins right-wing propaganda. For years now, viewers have bought the stories, hook, line and sinker, leading to our current state of voter polarization, with one side hearing lies and the other hearing the truth.
This extremism has fostered an environment where many consider "alternative news" more believable than "mainstream news," even extreme media outlets like Breitbart, where Steve Bannon once presided over a veritable lying machine of propaganda.
On the other hand, we have competing "real news" organizations like the AP, New York Times, CNN, NBC, ABC and CBS, desperately trying to find a smoking gun that will be so egregious as to force a very resistant Congress to impeach our current Liar in Chief who insists something happened that did not. And although the mainstream media provides all sorts of proof that the "something" did not occur, no amount of proof will change the Liar in Chief's statements, Fox News or Breitbart reports or supporters' views. When pushed, the Liar in Chief even demands a Congressional investigation, although the former head of the NSA and the now head of the FBI insist the thing didn't happen.
What is going on in our country?
I don't mean to rail only against right-wing news. The New York Times used to be the Holy Word of journalism, yet it has jumped into the gossipy fray with inaccurate reports on occasion. As does CNN, with reporters desperately trying to become the next Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of The Washington Post, who broke the news about Nixon's involvement in the Watergate break-ins during the 1970s.
This begs the question as to whether this Congress would even impeach our current Liar in Chief if an investigation or the media reveal he broke the law.
Is integrity so lacking in Congress that they will allow this disgrace of lies to go on? Is integrity so lacking in journalism that we can no longer know who is telling the truth?
Shame on Fox News and Brietbart. Shame on the FCC for letting these two go on this long. Free speech is one thing, but lying? Is that okay? Then again, shame on the mainstream media when they jump too soon and get it wrong.
Truth in journalism MUST prevail. Truth in our government MUST prevail. And the Liar in Chief needs to learn how to tell the truth.
Let me know your thoughts.
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