The Truth is AWOL, and Objective Journalism is Dead

I have always prided myself on trying to see opposing viewpoints. Whether I agree with them or not. Credit that to three things: being raised in a loving household with wonderful parents and an awesome sister, attending college, and naturally growing up and maturing.

While I have my own inherent biases (as does everyone on earth), I realize not everyone will see things similar to the the way I do. And that absolutely no one will see things exactly as I do, because they aren’t me. But I try to see everyone’s point of view. This is especially true when it comes to politics. Even though I am personally a right-leaning independent who was raised in a Conservative household with Christian values, attending a heavily Liberal-leaning college in Kent State University has shifted me more to the center.

But one thing I think we all can agree on, whether we lean left, right or are in the middle, is that we should always pursue the truth. Not what we want to see, but what is. But in today’s echo chamber created by CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and ridiculous conflict and fighting on social media, that seems impossible.

I stumbled across a video a few days ago that may have been the truth. Or at least a part of it. The right-leaning guerrilla journalist group Project Veritas secretly filmed ABC News correspondent David Wright openly admitting to several deceptive journalistic practices, such as intentionally misinforming voters at the behest of his boss, choosing certain stories that matter to ABC’s ratings rather than genuinely informing people on issues that matter, and stirring up outrage.

While Project Veritas is a right-leaning journalistic group, and some of their practices may be questionable (such as the hidden camera and microphone used to record Wright), I applaud Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe and his team for trying to get to the bottom of things and finding the truth through their chosen view. All that’s missing is a left-leaning group interested in working with Project Veritas to dig up the truth when it comes to Fox News, Breitbart and others. I am positive those on the right are guilty of the same things David Wright and ABC News are guilty of.

If Project Veritas and a left-leaning group interested in the same goals could come together, and work together to open everyone’s eyes to the truth outside of the echo chamber, objective journalism may one day make a comeback. But as long as there are backroom deals, money, and a political agenda involved when it comes to news, objective journalism is dead. It does not exist. Gone are the days of Walter Cronkite simply laying out facts and letting us decide things for ourselves.

In addition to the undercover video, I also have a link to one of my favorite documentaries, Shadows of Liberty. I discovered this documentary in June 2018, and ever since, I have tried my best to keep my eyes open whenever I watch one of the big media channels. Shadows of Liberty takes an unbiased look at how the media has been manipulated since the birth of our country. The media is no longer a vehicle for disseminating objective journalism. It’s a machine. A machine fueled by money, ratings, a political narrative, and our outrage over things that mostly don’t matter.

This machine doesn’t give a damn about what you or I think or truly want to know. All it’s interested in is turning everyone against each other. After all, if we’re at each other’s throats, it’s impossible for us to be angry at this machine. Even though it is one of the true enemies of the American people.

No matter where you may lean on the political spectrum, always be a critical thinker. When someone gives you a piece of news or information, resist the urge to become angry or emotional in any way. At least before you evaluate the information. Avoid articles that have a noticeable political slant or emotional language without facts from verified sources to back them up. When extreme claims are made about a subject or person (such as President Trump), avoid the urge to go along with your friends, and do your own detective work before making your decision on what to believe.

I recently found a website I am still researching called allsides.com, but I like the setup thus far. The site presents current media topics of the day. But unlike many news sites, there is an indicator whether a certain story has a left-leaning slant, right leaning slant, or is in the middle politically. Feel free to check it out for yourself here.

Sir Francis Bacon was right when he said knowledge is power. Those in positions of power count on an ignorant population. If we’re armed with knowledge and the truth, they can’t pull the wool over our eyes. And that scares them like you would not believe.