From: Jacqueline Carman
Columbus
My attention was grabbed by a letter published on Aug. 16, written by Joe Cole, titled “Mainstream press good at fabricating stories.” The thesis of the letter, supported only by three bullet points arguably too weak to substantiate it, is that “…most mainstream media outlets are in the tank for Democrats and socialist(s), and feel their only function in life is to make sure socialism takes over America.” The letter asks readers to “point out who makes the rules for the press to follow.”
I offer the following response in two parts from the perspective of an informed, educated individual who very much trusts and values the contributions of the press.
Part I: To imply that the press is not held to a certain standard when reporting is absurd. Professional journalists are held accountable to a code of ethics to seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently and to be accountable and transparent. We as individuals can form our own opinions around whether or not a particular journalist or organization adheres to that code of ethics, though anyone unwilling to conform to those standards might be hard-pressed to find meaningful work or a platform from which one would reach a wide audience.
Part II: It is our responsibility as consumers of this content to raise our voices in the event we feel we are being subject to fabricated stories, biased reporting or even propaganda. We hold these individuals and organizations accountable by choosing whether or not to buy those papers, click to those websites or flip to that channel. Additionally, it is up to us to do our own research and gain perspective from multiple sources rather than simply write off the institution of the press as a whole in response to a perceived bias — left-leaning or otherwise.
In closing, I encourage any person willing to buy in to the idea shared by our current president that the press is “the enemy of the people” to spend time dissecting why they might choose to believe these words. Deciding to support the current administration versus deciding to support a free press is a false dichotomy. It is your choice to be informed, to research and decide your stance, rather than be told who your “enemy” is or isn’t.
