We hate to tell you this, but the most opinionated and loudest person in a discussion is not always correct. We seem to be on a continuous downward spiral of fake-news and clickbait headlines that is drowning out balanced news reporting. It is a concern for us and should be for everyone.
We find the business of newspapering fascinating, and we read constantly about its history and its current state. You cannot know the path forward without understanding where it came from. From the beginning newspapers (and their predecessors) were a way to inform. And it wasn’t long before economics began to influence what that content was.
A little history, “yellow journalism” was first coined in the mid-1890’s as a way to describe the sensational journalism in the newspaper between Joseph Pulitzer’s New York Works and William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal. Each paper was accused of sensationalizing their headlines and news coverage to sell papers.
It quieted down after a few years, as the public was wise enough to want accurate news. With Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Jimmy Breslin and many others the competition moved from selling papers to wanting to get the most accurate story possible.
That began to change with the 1992 presidential elections. Cable news channels were young and desperate for content. News cycles, which is the time it takes for a journalist to report on a story and have the public see it, went from the time of one episode of the evening news or edition of the weekly or daily papers to less than 24 hours. The cable news channels needed content constantly. Their need has only picked up in speed since then.
Right now, news is available in your newspaper, on your television, your computer, your phone, or even your watch. We are constantly bombarded with content. Not all of it accurate, by any stretch. Bloggers, those who dissimilate news through social media and websites, can put up whatever content they choose, with whatever headlines they want, and without accountability because it does not cost them anything to “produce” their news.
The result, for online readers at least, is the need for sensational headlines and stories to grab their attention and ensure reader’s “click” on a story. This is how they measure their readership. The juicier the headline the more clicks they receive. It has nothing to do with the content of the story.
Do not misunderstand us. Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of our country. People have the right to say whatever they want. However, in today’s environment of “Day-Glo” headlines (not just sensationalized, but completely misleading) and stories it is imperative that all of us have the ability to question what others state as fact or put forward as “news.” We should do so by actively listening rather than shouting over someone’s opinion with whom we may disagree. Where is the respect we espouse to have for one another?
We are looking for a statesman – several in fact, from the entire political spectrum. Where is John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan? They were statesmen who could rally the country. They did not sink into political rhetoric; they rose above it. And as they rose so did our country. Where are those statesmen for our community? Has the 24-hour news cycle, the age of “gotcha politics” and bloggers killed the ability to have an honest respectful political dialog? We surely hope not.
“Day-Glo” (or yellow) journalism can apply to much of what is purported to be journalism on the internet. We need to ensure we maintain our daily and weekly community newspapers to provide the balanced voice that respects differing opinions, but also asks those that differ to respect their opponents as well. When we do not our entire community loses.
