It's not "fake news" and the press is not the "enemy of the people"

Today, more than 350 newspapers across the country, joined by some radio and television media operations, are running editorials about the importance of a free press, and decrying the attacks made on the press by the current president, his administration, and his followers.

It is no secret that attacking the news media is one of the pillars of the Trump administration's dogma, and its loyal followers accept the attacks unquestionably, to the end that "fake news" now just means any news story the president, his administration, and/or his followers don't like and don't want to hear. "Fake" no longer pertains to whether a story is factually accurate or not. We've run stories based almost entirely upon Trump administration press releases, and have been called out as running "fake news" by mindless Trump minions who couldn't figure out that they were actually saying in their fake news comments that the Trump administration was lying.

Is there media bias? Does the media make mistakes, get sloppy, or cut corners to push their story out first? Absolutely. I can critique the media all day long. After all, prior to running The Sun Runner, I was working for corporate media, where I was occasionally censored, dealt with internal politics and favoritism that made its way to the editorial level (though it wasn't supposed to) and - despite it all - worked with a great team to produce quality reporting.

Our stories upset those on the right and the left, as a political bias one way or the other wasn't our goal. Instead, we wanted to provide a voice for those who often weren't heard - the seniors who suddenly lost Social Security SSI benefits and didn't know how they were going to live (one didn't - she died alone in an abandoned school bus in Wonder Valley, and her death haunts me to this day); the mentally ill trying to gain understanding and acceptance; the homeless caught in a system that penalized them for trying to find a home; the wildlife that would die, out of sight and out of mind of most people; a girl needing a million dollars to save her life - all important stories that often weren't being covered elsewhere.

I've been a journalist for more than three decades, and it's often not been a rewarding career. After 14 years of running The Sun Runner, we're now only online as time allows, because it's not been financially rewarding on any level. I've learned a great deal though, and it's not encouraging.

I've learned that the public, in general, doesn't really care much about the truth. All those screaming "Fake news!" at CNN don't care whether it's fake or not. They really could care less. They just want to tear down the news media. Most of them don't have any analytical skills that would help them deconstruct a news story so they could understand whether it is truly biased or not, and they wouldn't bother to do so anyway. They don't understand about primary source material, nor do they care. On a local level, they'll attack you, lie about you, and try to destroy your business if you publish something they don't like for whatever reason. Some, on a local level, will do this as "good Christians," which is an interesting spin on the teachings of Christ (being a Christian myself).

Most people want their biases and prejudices reaffirmed - on the right and the left. But that doesn't mean we should cater to them. Our job is to report, as accurately and objectively as possible, when we're reporting news stories. When we editorialize, it's important for us to still get our facts straight, as our point won't be made if it's built upon a shoddy foundation.

But we, the press, are human. We do make mistakes. We do sometimes let our emotions and beliefs influence us. Woe be unto those, however, who would strive to weaken and destroy a free press. For should you be successful, we won't be there when you need us. And you WILL need us if you succeed. For without us, the Fourth Estate, there is no check to tyranny.

And while it's true that most people don't care about the truth, it's also true that most people can't see the train wreck until it happens. In short, most folks won't understand the need for a free press until there isn't one. And then, they'll get it.

But it may be a little too late then to recover all those constitutional rights and freedoms that they've lost.

So, from a practical sense, let's cut the yelling of "Fake news!" at every story that we don't like, despite the fact we're just having a knee-jerk reaction to it and we haven't bothered to even look at the facts and documentation of the story.

Let's stop offhandedly demonizing the press. If you think a story is biased, research the facts of it and be able to say why you think it isn't objective or accurate. Stop being lazy in your criticism of the press and your blind acceptance of what you're being fed by the propaganda pushers and demagogues. We're all for a thinking, critical citizenry. Do the work to keep the press honest. But you do have to do the work. Oh, and I'm not just speaking to Republicans (I'm not calling them conservatives because true conservatives would not believe in restricting a free press). Those on the left need to work harder to distinguish between real news and propaganda, and they need to be willing to call out (with facts) the misinformation and propaganda coming from that end of the political spectrum.

A recent poll found that nearly half of all Republicans believe the news media is the enemy of the American people. This doesn't mean that the press is the enemy of the American people. What it means is that the president's propaganda campaign is working. Nearly a quarter of Republicans polled agreed that the president should "close down" news operations he doesn't like. If you like dictatorships, and heavy-handed police state authoritarian regimes, then you may be a Trump supporter.

But something inside me says that most Trump supporters wouldn't likely enjoy a police state authoritarian regime once they figured out it wasn't just the liberals who were losing their freedoms.

Somehow, America has to move beyond lazy thinking, shallow rhetoric, demonizing, and junior high-level "owning the liberals." If we go that route, that's it for this country, and it's unlikely we'll ever recover. John Adams said, "The liberty of the press is essential to the security of freedom." It's incredible how many "patriots" are disregarding the warnings of the founding fathers when it comes to attacking the press.

Let's hope those patriots wake up before it's too late.

“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.

It was their final, most essential command.”

- George Orwell, 1984