Before deregulation, Americans used to turn on their television sets or open their newspapers and see the truth.
We saw the horrors of the Viet Nam War in our living rooms. We read about Watergate in The Washington Post and watched as a newspaper forced a criminal president to resign. We heard courageous commentary from Edward R. Morrow. We trusted Walter Cronkite. We saw liars challenged. We saw wrongs exposed. We saw people march against injustice. We had, to a large extent, an honest and hard-working media.
Today, “Journalists” like Judith Miller spread false propaganda in our major newspapers to promote war. “Journalists” like Robert Novak print classified information to expose covert intelligence agents. “Journalists” like Wolfe Blitzer splice video to cover up mistakes of favored political figures while former military officers appear on television to repeat Pentagon spin so that they can profit from the war machine. Today, we have a media that distorts, manipulates, and lies.
We must create a new media. Based on truth. Based on the public good. Based on investigation and eyewitness. Based on upholding the principles of the Constitution. It is up to you and me—ordinary citizens, not media moguls—to demand accuracy and relevance from television, radio, print, and above all, internet news sites. If we participate, if we challenge, if we contribute, we can build a new media. We can bring journalism back to high standards and our public discourse back to a civil exchange of ideas
Filed under: We must create a new media
