I was saddened to read a New York Times piece recently that said a loose network of conservative operatives will begin discrediting news organizations hostile to the President. That’s not so new. But the method is. They plan to do so by publicizing damaging information about individual journalists and even their family members in some cases.
Are Journalists Fair Game?
In a sense, the journalists are fair game (not their families). If they demand openness, they perhaps should be open themselves. Many decades ago when I was a journalist for the Des Moines, Iowa, daily, I chose to register as an independent since I was covering the courthouse. The elected positions there were all partisan. It just seemed smarter.
What Is the Role of Journalism?
As I learned in journalism school, the role of the journalist is to represent the public’s right to know. It is to present fair and impartial accounts about government and other issues. From that reporting, we hope, people can make intelligent choices about decisions at the ballot box or elsewhere in their lives.
Have We Lost That?
I now teach a Communication Theory class for the University of Phoenix Online. One of the assignments is to view one news story on three networks and assess the coverage. Almost universally, the students choose Fox News as representing the conservative view and CNN or MSNBC representing the liberal. That probably isn’t as it should be.
News Isn’t Commentary
The news should be presented without a film of bias, in any direction. If a network wants to present commentary, it has that right, but it surely should be labeled as such. Newspapers, after all, label their editorial and opinion sections.
CNN, Washington Post, The New York Times
According to the NYT piece, the group has already released information about the three organizations mentioned above. More are expected as we draw nearer to the 2020 election season. Along with that will come information about individuals in the press corps.
Rasmussen Survey
According to the Washington Examiner, a new Rasmussen survey said most voters believe the average journalist is liberal. And 51 percent said “it is appropriate for elected officials to criticize specific reporters and news organizations.” Another 39 percent view such criticism as a threat to press freedom.
Previous polls have shown that those drawn to the profession often are liberal. I know I am. And I grew up in a newspaper family and have pursued the field all of my adult life.
Fake News and Worldwide Threats
According to a February account in The Hill, the President’s rhetoric and “fake news” attacks on the media is even giving a green light to some dictators to go after journalists. Remember, Trump has called journalists “the enemy of the American people.” Surely not!
“Donald Trump saying he wants to change American libel laws, I think, has helped give some of these dictators around the world the sense that they have a green light to go after reporters…” said James Risen of the Press Freedom Defense Fund.
Philippine President Duterte
Risen referred to the arrest of Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, a critic of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. The new libel law in that country allows the arrest of individuals on charges of criminal libel. Ressa, who is being aided by Risen’s group, said the law is being “weaponized” by Duterte.
Risen said the changes against Ressa are dangerous because she is facing criminal charges for criticizing a government official. Surely not in America!
Journalists Imprisoned Worldwide
More than 250 journalists worldwide are imprisoned because of their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in its annual report published last December. And we certainly remember what happened to Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of the Saudis. It’s not an easy world for journalism in general. But we hope to keep our journalists safe and reporting objectively about the news events of the day.
Can Journalists Point Our Blatant Mistruths?
The Washington Post has been keeping track of the President’s mistruths since he took office. As of August 19, the number stood at 12,000. Isn’t it part of the job to point out mistruths, deceptions and lies?
If You Can’t Believe Journalism….
I, for one, believe journalism is doing a great job. And I worry about those who don’t.
If you can’t believe the word over the air from journalists or from those writing in your local, regional or national newspapers, where will you get the information you need to vote, make investment decisions or make other choices impacting your life? Don’t we need to embrace journalism, faults and all? Can we go to multiple sources to ensure we receive balance?