When I was younger, I remember my parents grumbling about the media being biased, angrily denouncing Walter Cronkite for his 'liberal' views. However, the whole family would religiously gather around '60 minutes' to watch and learn what was REALLY going on. My parents definitely disagreed with the political views that the newsmen espoused, but valued their independence and moxie for standing up to the powers that be and making them answer the tough questions.
Now that we have been inundated by 'fake news,' primarily satire and click-bait, which have denigrated the trust we once put in journalists, we find ourselves wondering if a story is REAL. Add to that the tendency to dismiss stories that one disagrees with AS 'fake news,' and we have a real problem. Many who call themselves journalists simply copy and paste the press release they get from whatever business or government department that publishes one. Most ask only 'softball' questions of the politicians. THEN we have the President of the United States suggesting that the FBI should be ARRESTING journalists. Soon, only the 'approved' stories will be aired, coming from the 'approved' sources, and the media will be reduced to serving the will of the political class. How do we stop this from happening? By supporting independent journalism and by holding those to account who suggest putting a muzzle on them.
There are many ways to support independent journalism, from buying subscriptions to purchasing advertising from media outlets. Direct action may ALSO soon be required. Would YOU physically resist someone who is trying to arrest a journalist? Think about it.
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