A dialogue continued from my article two weeks ago on the
problems of discerning truth in the media, FOURTH
OF JULY ADVISORY—BEWARE THE FATHER OF ALL LIES. It came from a long-time friend at our local
St. Mary parish who often takes the time to respond to my messages. Jim is a conservative, competent,
compassionate businessman who has travelled widely. Our viewpoints are often different, but our
discussions remain thoughtful and respectful.
That’s a blessing.
Mike,
I see you’ve started writing a bit of comedy.
“If good reliable sources of news can be regularly
discredited, then we are hostages to the political leadership.”
Haha, “good reliable sources of news”. Funny stuff.
Name one...
Your friend,
Jim
Jim,
WSJ, the AP, and NYT, and NPR on the airwaves. They
have journalistic standards and editors who guard the store in terms of
reliable, confirmed stories. Respectable journalism does exist in a
few national and local newspapers. None are absolutely infallible, but
these, and others like the San Jose Mercury News, have good editors, and a very
good record. These all contrast the liberal and conservative perspectives
in search of the truth. If we have no trustworthy news, we have no democracy.
Your friend,
Mike
Mike,
I do not trust much that comes from any of the
organizations you name, especially the NY Times (the “old gray lady” died
decades ago) , and I do not know the San Jose Mercury News. In fact, I don’t
trust much of anything that is reported in the media today, and that includes
Fox News if you’re wondering.
They’re all in the same boat. It’s all entertainment and
sensationalism.
They should not have to balance the liberal and
conservative views. In news reporting there should NOT be any liberal or conservative
views. It is news. It is facts. They should be reporting the facts. Facts and
truth do not have a liberal or conservative bent to it. It is what it is. Tell
us what happened and only tell us what happened. Nothing more and nothing less.
Show us the pictures and the video and let us decide what we want to do with
that information. Let the viewer decide what to think of it.
Do not try and tell me your opinion or your side of the
issue. Get rid of these so-called “panels of experts” (I love the word
“expert”. It tells me that the person is nothing more than an “ex-spurt” if you
know what I mean) and just tell us what is happening in the world without a
slant right or left.
Journalism is dead in this country and has been for
years. They all want to be the next Woodward and Bernstein. So called
journalists today are all about trying to catch someone doing something wrong
and to be the “first” to get the story told. Even if that story is untrue or
they don’t know all the facts. It is more important to be first than to be
correct. No one reports the news anymore, they try to invent it.
It is unfortunate as the country does need a news source
(I agree with you there) and none exist at the moment. All of today’s media
outlets are nothing more than vendors selling a product. Every one of them. And
do you know what that product is? It is you and me. We are the product. We are
sold by the networks to advertisers when they show them their ratings. They
tell them they have “X” number of millions of viewers or listeners and that
they should advertise on their network. We are the product, the media is the
vendor, and the advertiser is the customer. So they try to make the news as
sensational as possible in order to raise their viewership numbers and sell
their air time to the advertisers.
What a person has to do today is read and watch many
sources and decide for themselves what makes sense. Do not blindly listen and
believe. Be a skeptic and dig further. And use what is in such short supply
today…. common sense. If a story seems unreal or unlikely then it probably is.
I try to do that but at times I have to step back from any news before it
drives me crazy.
Your friend,
Jim
Jim,
I don't have quite the negative view
that you have on the character of many of our reporters and news agencies, but
agree with your premise and sentiment, and commitment to do our own diligent
search for the facts. I've read your note here just after having written
my latest web article which I think you'll appreciate. Would you agree to
my adding your words here to my article as a guest commentator of often
different opinions than my own?
Your friend,
Mike
Jim agrees to my publishing our back and forth on this
issue, and, after his read of my second article on the subject of the media, THE
TRUTH THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH?, responded—
Well written, Mike.
Jim
May all of us keep striving to reach some common ground
on the problems that confront our country and world. Grounded in the truth, firm yet forgiving, so
help us God.
Jesus before Pilate - "What is Truth?"
