As our president continues to trumpet the idea that the media is a source of evil, it is important to remember that in any group, there will be outliers that are not representative of the whole population.
Some journalists use dubious tactics, make stories up or let their own bias flavor their story. In a society that holds fame so highly, it’s tempting to try to make the story about oneself.
Journalism has been a cornerstone of this country since its founding for good reason. A well-functioning free press is key to a vibrant democracy and protecting it is ensured in the First Amendment to the Constitution.
There are journalists, reporters and editors working behind the scenes every day to deliver valuable knowledge to the people.
Not all of them are mean-spirited. Not all of them trade in “fake news.” Not all want to further their own agendas and ideologies at the cost of the truth.
Certainly there are some bad apples in every bunch, but that does not mean we should never make an apple pie again. Now more than ever it is important for us to use critical thinking and thoughtful analysis with the news we see day in and day out.
We should not whole-heartedly distrust everything that comes before our eyes, but by the same token we should look at those sources or specific journalists we do trust with a keen eye towards their (and our) biases as well.
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