News is an Endangered Species
“Inquiring Minds Want to Know”
That old adage is one the writers of our Constitution expected of the writers of the daily, weekly, and periodic news publications of the time.
They understood that informed voters would be the individuals who would select and elect people who would support and follow the words and intent of the Constitution.
They expected “the free press” would pursue truth and the impact behind the actions of the government. They wanted the government to have limited power. They knew the British monarchy had attempted to shut down the publications exposing the effects of British law and actions in and on the colonies. “Taxation without Representation,” etc.
Following that vein of ideology the 1st Amendment reads:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
In addition, journalism has its own code of conduct and ethics which outline the principles of truthfulness, accuracy and fact-based communications, independence, objectivity, impartiality, fairness, respect for others and public accountability, as these apply to the gathering, editing and dissemination of newsworthy information to the public.
So, has ‘the press” delivered on its constitutional expectations? How about its own codes and expectations?
I would suggest that for the most part the national media has lost fact-based communications, independence, objectivity, impartiality, fairness, respect for others and public accountability. Instead, they have adopted political and ideological expectations of their own. Too many in that “journalistic” role no longer are reporting but are disseminating ‘propaganda.’
Are the expectations of the founding fathers no longer possible to fulfill? Have we arrived at the place where mid-20th century American journalist, A. J. Liebling, working for the New Yorker wrote, “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.”
Our national news is no longer a half hour report by a ‘Walter Cronkite’ telling us what has and is happening. In those times network news was subsidized by the network. It has become an identifiable, for-profit industry.
Sharyl Attkisson, former CNN reporter and CBS anchor, in her book, “Slanted: How the News Media Taught Us to Love Censorship and Hate Journalism” cites many examples of bias. In one of them she outlines an assignment to “Do a story on why Steve Forbes’ flat tax won’t work.” This was 1996 and Steve Forbes was running for president. Attkisson relates she wasn’t told, “Do a story on the pros and cons of this” or “Look into whether this would work.” She was simply handed a conclusion and told to pick whatever facts might lead to it.
If any ‘news’ statement has truth today that’s it – support an already decided conclusion. As previously stated, that’s not news, it’s propaganda.
“President Biden is mentally sharp and acute.” That was the story. That was the story line. When it was questioned by a few, those questioners were put into question themselves. But there was no story when DOJ Special Counsel Robert Hur declined to prosecute President Biden for his illegal possession and handling of classified documents taken while a Senator and VP. The Special Counsel report states that Biden’s practices “present serious risks to national security.” But Hur went on to state he wouldn’t charge Biden because the president would likely portray himself as an “elderly man with a poor memory” who would be sympathetic to a jury.
I could go on and on, the hoaxes of Jesse Smollett and Russia, Russia! and 51 former intelligence leaders’ signing onto Hunter’s laptop as Russian disinformation, but the point is our national media has become a 24-hour, 365 days a year business which carries a brand – a specific, identifiable output.
Journalism requires investigation, objectivity, and collaboration by at least 2 other sources.
Journalistic ethics and required protocols for reporting have been buried under newly chosen exclamations of “first,” “exclusive” and “exposé.” And being first has been the excuse for misinformation or sometimes even false reporting.
Certainly the internet and social media has become it’s own source for news significantly affecting newspapers and print media in general. At the same time, broadcast ‘news’ has taken on a new role and source of influence.
The closest thing we can experience to legitimate journalism and ‘news’ these days is local.
Is it any wonder that network news is now trusted by about one-third of the populace? And the two-thirds that don’t can’t fathom how the one-third can be so blind to accept opinion as news.
If the networks have any remaining interest in journalism and news, it needs a doubling down on objectivity, transparency, and accuracy in a way that helps citizens more readily recognize the value that such things provide.
One would surmise with the staff reductions and ad revenue losses being experienced by nearly all ‘news’ organizations see that they see the handwriting on the wall.
I believe there’s a huge market for real journalism and news out there, but someone needs to tap the public’s demand for truth and impartiality.
With CNN closing its standalone opinion section last week, maybe there’s a chance again for real news on the networks.
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Have a great and prosperous week.
Hug somebody.
References:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/amendment-1/freedom-of-press-overview
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._J._Liebling
https://nypost.com/2020/11/07/how-cbs-and-cnn-went-from-reporting-the-news-to-distorting-it/
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/01/media-layoffs-la-times/677285/
SPIDER Bytes
This week’s trivia question is: Which U.S. president pardoned all Vietnam War draft dodgers on his second day in office? The answer to last week’s question on roughly how many miles per hour does the earth spin – 1,000. The Earth rotates on its axis once each day. Because the circumference of the Earth at the equator is 24,901.55 miles, a spot on the equator rotates at approximately 1,037.5646 miles per hour. Earth’s orbit around the sun (a year) and axis rotation are not in total sync. It takes 365 days and 6 hours to orbit the Sun once. Ergo, every 4th year we add a full day (leap year). BTW, the speed at which the earth orbits the sun is 67,100 miles per hour. Hang on!
The lackluster July jobs report showed few jobs filled and more unemployment. The stock markets dropped like a rock after that disclosure. Now the issue is what is the Fed going to do with interest rates next month – fight high inflation or try to avoid recession.
After 46 seconds an Italian female boxer left her Olympics match against a biological Algerian male protesting that the Committee should never have allowed the mismatch to take place. She lamented years of training and tournaments to qualify for the games only to come up against stronger, male chromosomes. Our current policy proponents on Title IX, the IOC and our own NCAA should be ashamed – it just isn’t fair to allow transgender women to compete against women/girls.
The Montgomery County Maryland Public Schools have ditched its 2021 commitment to electric school buses. It seems the company with the contract for the buses couldn’t deliver, despite being paid $168M. Nationally, a total of 60 electric school buses have been produced under the $5B government subsidy program.
Hello! Crackdowns on homeless encampments are ramping up in California following the US supreme court’s ruling that cities can fine and jail unhoused people sleeping outside even when there is no shelter available. Home to an estimated 123,000 unsheltered people living in tents, trailers, cars and makeshift shelters, California Governor Gavin Newsom last week issued an executive order calling for the removal of encampments across the state. His order directed state agencies to shutter tent sites on properties in their jurisdictions and urged local municipalities to adopt similar crackdowns. If anyone wants to get off on his/her ‘better-than -thou’ virtue stance and accommodate society’s parasites, it doesn’t mean everyone else must tolerate the creation of crime ridden shanty towns/skid rows.
It was wonderful to see the relief and happiness on the faces of the families and the three US citizens detained/jailed by Russia as they arrived home last week.
A great segue to this week’s blog is CNN shutting down and laying off all personnel in its separate opinion section last week.
