Thursday, April 20, 2023

News Blitz

   World news organizations are covering in depth the Fox admission that it reported stories about the 2020 presidential election results that were false.
   Fox itself, however, did not carry any commentary or analysis of its own fault in the controversy. Other than to say that an agreement had been reached to settle the lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems.
   Meanwhile, other challenges are moving through the courts in several states, and if they are as successful as the Dominion case, the result could be a bankruptcy filing.
   Will that happen? Court decisions over time will tell. While we wait, other news outlets fill their pages and time slots with reports on the issues.
   So why aren't the other news outlets being sued, some ask, because they too are carrying the false allegations.
   Good question. The answer is because these news outlets are carrying both sides of the issue, and emphasizing that the allegations are false. That policy is unlike the Fox folks, who talk only one side -- the fake side.
   The bigger problem, however, remains that of responsibility for reporting truth. It's one thing to report allegations, but doing so requires reporting the opposing side of any issue, and reporting a balance of fact and opinion.
   Broadcasting only one side of an issue and letting advertisers and their customers dictate how to handle a news story is poor journalism.
   And that becomes propaganda.


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