In search of an unbiased media
As our political divide worsens, the need for an honest, trustworthy national news source becomes increasingly obvious. However, we find we have absolutely none left in this country. Broadcast, cable, internet, print. None. Zero. Zip.
Journalistic ethics have been diminishing for decades and today have been totally abandoned. National journalism is bereft of honesty, decency and morality, now being motivated by garnering revenue rather than respect. News is presented in a manner that enflames rather than informs and promotes confrontation rather than conversation. Speculation has replaced investigation. Television “news anchors” are more akin to spin doctors than newspersons.
Sort of like talk radio with pictures. Their reports are littered with half-truths, distortions, exaggerations and just plain lies.
After reporting their “news” they then tell us what we should think about the “news” just reported. Television news frequently feature panels of “experts” trying to one up each other to see who can make the most outrageous or sensational comment or prediction. Wire services and major newspapers publish stories that are more opinion than facts, and what facts they do include are presented in such a misleading fashion as to be deliberately deceptive.
For example, if a crime is committed and no one ever investigates, it could be reported as, “No evidence of a crime has been located.” Or, the results of this year’s Super Bowl could have been headlined, “Bengals finish second. Rams next to last.” Both statements would be technically accurate but also dishonest and certainly disingenuous.
Journalism, on the national level, is no longer a profession but a corrupt business. News is written, edited and presented so as to appeal to a specific audience rather than presented honestly and objectively. Balanced reporting is now openly disparaged as “both-sides-ism.” Nuance and implication are melded with half-truths and falsehoods. Stories are often based on “anonymous sources,” a ploy which allows for the dissemination of any tripe or bilge they wish to concoct with no way for anyone to verify its veracity.
Indeed, in many instances, verification is deliberately avoided in order to provide deniability for news agencies and scoop competitors. Better to be first than be accurate and anyway, why miss out on a juicy story simply because it is not true.
Different outlets report the same stories in such dramatically different form as to be almost unrecognizable as presentations of the same event. Competing news outlets denigrate and ridicule one another. Liars calling other liars, liars.
As members of the public, we insist those of us not in agreement with our own views are being conned and manipulated, but the truth is we are all being conned and manipulated. If there could be at least one decent, honest, trustworthy national news outlet that we could all rely upon for factual, objective and balanced reporting perhaps we could reduce the vitriol and hatred which currently poisons our society.
But if this imaginary, mythical, magical news outlet existed, would any of us bother to watch, listen or read it? I doubt it. For that would mean leaving our comfortable fantasies for the harshness of a grim reality. It would mean being unable to indulge in having our preferences, opinions, prejudices and beliefs reinforced by a biased news source dedicated to pacifying us. It would mean being forced to reconsider our opinions based upon facts instead of fiction and adjust our views to comport with the world as it actually is rather than how we choose to perceive it.
But alas, I fear the only change we will see is that the current situation will worsen as our opinions of ourselves and our opponents harden and our animosity toward one another increases. To paraphrase Arthur Fleck’s famous line from the movie “Joker” — What do you get when you cross a lying, unscrupulous news media with a gullible, hate filled public? You get what you ******* deserve.