~a column by Colleen O’Brien
Because of the paucity of ideas in my fogged brain [do I blame Covid or my age?], I look at columns of mine from thirty years ago: “Watching the watchdogs.” It could have been written today.
“So, who do you believe – CBS? CNN? The Gazette? Time Magazine? None of them?
“Along with all else that runs our world – government, big business, public utilities, special interests – the media is becoming increasingly difficult to trust.
“And I love the media, no doubt because I’m part of it, but also because I admire its reason for being.”
That was from May 26, 1993; today, January 12, 2023, I would still use CNN but change the others to Fox, MSNBC, the New York Times, because 30 years later I still worry about and write about a free press. I like to write about it with pride and boasting –- for one thing, it’s mentioned in the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Its pride of place is important, but even more important is its role, which is to inform the citizenry of what’s going on in our country – in the government, in corporations, in literature, the arts, sports, weather, world events . . . and crime. Crime being one of the big ones -– any illegal activities of government, corporations, sports, world events and leaders.
The backdrop of the profession is that most people don’t have the time to keep an eye on the entities that run us, and unless the press informs us, we’re in the dark. We need more reporters. We need more news organizations that even if they’re a for profit company are still the advocate of their readers who still want them to keep the First Amendment in mind.
The tremendous power the press has is newsworthy itself and part of the problem. Those in danger of too much power are who we think of when the old saw comes up about politicians, CEOs and by all means news outfits: a little bit of power goes a long way.
So, make it honest power.
We all know that media folk are just as human as the rest of us, maybe as human as elected officials. And so we are to give them a break? I don’t buy it. I don’t want my senators, doctors, utilities or reporters to make a mistake of judgment, of cutting corners, of taking bribes, of sucking up to power at all. But if they do (that human thing again), I want the press to catch them, to write about it, to advocate for me.
I’m down to a very few representatives that I admire – past (I keep learning more about them that should have been reported before they died) and present. I’ve changed doctors, banks, insurance companies and auto repair when they cheated or charged too much or took advantage of me, my gender, my innocence, my ignorance, my money. I’m down to just a scattering of media folk I trust; not a good scenario for any of us who don’t have the time to gather all the facts. Being unable to trust the people who inform us is a dilemma that will affect our vote, our taxes, our health, you name it.
How often does the New York Times squeal on itself, tell us everything they already knew about a conman running for president? When the media, either out of laziness or collusion, tells only half the story of a public issue or figure, and I vote accordingly, only to learn later had I known all the dirt the press held back I’d have voted differently.
The way to avoid lack of honesty in politics and news is to avoid them altogether, get cynical, which means believing the worst of everything and everybody – horrible way to live. Or become a reporter or a pol or an activist or protestor. The only one of those that makes any money is the pol. Maybe the poorly paid reporter could break rank, investigate and tell us.
All I really want is to read the newspaper and believe it’s doing its job. I want to think that I am an involved citizen because I know what’s truthfully going on.
It seems the only watchdog the watchdog has is us. And of course, no matter the pressures to do otherwise, those owners as well as their worker bees who record the news honestly.
