From fabricated narratives about mass shooters, to an obsession with social media personalities, American journalism continues to showcase a nation in decline
Back in the 1980’s, a running joke among many was that if you want truth in journalism, look no further than the National Enquirer. Although satire, many actually did somewhat believe such stories as “bat boy found in cave”, or “President Clinton meets with aliens”, no matter how far fetched or ridiculous. But in retrospect, it did showcase American’s trust in journalism, and how credibility had been slowing eroding over the years. Trust in journalism peaked in the 1970’s, with about 3/4 of Americans having a favorably few of the press. By the late 1990’s, it had declined to less than 60%. A recent poll showed that just 32% of Americans now trust mainstream news.
There are many culprits that can be blamed, and to say it’s just an issue of dishonesty or biased reporting would neither be fair or accurate. The “news” is now everywhere, created by everyone, and broadcast through multiple outlets besides television. Celebrities now tweet the news, create a narrative that suits what they believe, and voila, it’s retweeted thousands of times to the masses. It’s then picked up by Yahoo as well as other sites, and manufactured in a way that makes it sound more factual than it actually is. Compassion leads to emotion, which causes all logical reasoning to be dismissed. Over the past several years this has become more and more apparent, and it continues to create division in an already extremely divided country.
Take for example the mass shooting that occurred in Buffalo this past Sunday. The horrific nature of the crime was immediately replaced by who should be blamed for the act, and forget the actual shooter, it’s conservatism according to MSNBC. Rolling Stone reported that the shooter was a typical Republican, despite not knowing his actual political affiliation. The Governor of New York, Katy Hochul, claimed that hate speech needed to be controlled, despite not knowing what exactly the motives of the shooter were. But once more details emerged, the murderers so called “manifesto” made statements in it that contradicted what was being reported. There’s apparently no love for Fox news, conservative perspectives, or religious values. There is however enthusiasm for communism, environmental causes, and his political perspective is one of a left wing authoritarian.
It is without question, one of the most irresponsible displays of American Journalism ever seen. Tucker Carlson, the most popular cable news show on television quickly became the target of leftist journalists uninterested in honesty. Carlson is one of the leading voices of conservatism, but historically, he has never shied away from criticizing Republicans. Attacking Carlson feels almost vindictive, as if it’s rooted in some sort of deep jealousy related to ratings. Ratings for CNN and MSNBC are dismal. National news from non cable networks are low, and CNN+, flamed out as fast as it was launched. It’s easy to attack commentators that are more successful than you, and this appears to be the motive of leftist journalists.
But the truth will ultimately set you free, and as we have all seen over the past two years. Russia collusion is a lie, silencing voices about the origins of Covid was an injustice, and BLM, an organization that says it’s dedicated to injustice, has committed the unjust act of using funds for personal gains. This should be a wake up call for any American with common sense, and only time will tell if this is the case.
Journalism should strive for a higher standard, and jumping to conclusions before all facts are presented is both unethical and dishonest. It’s time for American journalism to uphold the principles it once held, and put an end to partisan opinions.