How the modern press became the biggest enemy of the truth

Closer to Ohio Appalachia than north of Cincinnati

If you've not heard, a living nightmare of a home was discovered in Vinton County here in the Buckeye State.  Over a dozen children were living as animals.  Strike that.  Animals live better.  They were abused, imprisoned, and starved.  When authorities discovered the living hellhole, most of the children were on the verge of death.  The four adults - all family - have been taken into custody.

Of course this has opened up quite a debate.  How did the authorities miss this?  Where were local health professionals?  How about social services?  And the schools?  Apparently they were enrolled in the local school district, but never attended.  Did anyone notice?  Where was everyone?

I'm not one to always rush out and blame anyone and everyone when something like this happens.  I understand we are an imperfect brood, despite what we might want to think.  But I'll admit, this was so horrific, sustained for over such a long period of time, and dealt with so many children, it does make you wonder.  But it doesn't make me wonder about this:

That's from the local NBC outlet, though others jumped on the bandwagon. But what debate?  At no point has homeschool even entered the discussion.  There is no evidence that school in any form existed.  Reports so far suggest they weren't even enrolled in the local school district, much less that they filed notification to homeschool.  So nothing reported has suggested this was in any way linked, even with the most extreme stretches of the definition possible, to homeschooling.

So why say something that is based on absolutely no evidence?  Because homeschooling is anathema to the modern Left establishments, for which the media is the propaganda organ.  It doesn't matter if it's true, if there are or aren't facts, if there is any reason in the world to suggest a link could be found.  It's important to attack. 

In many ways, the press has emerged as a sort of secret police industry for the Left.  In addition to nakedly ignoring endless human death and suffering if it might make the Left and its narratives look bad, it has no compunction over attacking anything that challenges or stands in the way of the Left, with or without evidence for doing so. 

Again, based on all reports so far, homeschool has no more to do with the household of horrors than NASA does.  It hasn't been brought up until this article.  This was merely an attack.  It was a purposeful assault on a perceived threat to the Left - homeschooling.  Doesn't matter if it's true, if the facts point that way, or if there are no facts at all.  Journalism that cares about such things as facts and truth and humanity sailed off into the sunset years ago. 

Because of the news media

That's why:

"This is how it came to dominate the marketplace and loom so large in the American psyche"

Because the news media ignores stories that don't fit the press's agendas and narratives.

Because the news media has perfected the practice of making molehills out of mountains and mountains out of molehills.  

Because the news media waits until an AR-15 or similar gun is used and then keeps the discussion focused only on that one element of the story.

Because the press spends little to no time focused on any crime, murder, killing or other tragic event unless it can tie it around America as racist, phobic, bigoted nation or an AR-15 or similar weapon. 

Because the press all but refuses to allow any solutions, causes, symptoms or anything about violence in our modern culture to be discussed if it can't be linked to American racism, bigotry or assault weapons. 

Heaven forfend the press allows the conversation to drift to the godless morals, values and narcissism we've all but sanctified as a culture, all of which preceded the sudden emergence of the era of active shooter events. 

That's how it happened.  It's not rocket science. 

It reminds me of journalists sitting around the table on a Sunday morning newscast wondering why Americans are so obsessed about a story the press has been headlining 24/7 for the last three weeks.  Sometimes you just can't make it up.  Nor can you fathom how the press can write these things and not see the obvious.  It's either naked mendacity, or it's a pathological lack of self-awareness. 

If you are shocked by Katie Couric's revelation about the Ginsberg interview

You might be shocked to learn the Earth isn't flat.  Again, I'm not sure when we developed this idea that journalism is some objective source of information.  It's never been that. From the beginning of journalism, journalists were about their own perspectives and designs and agendas.  

Sure, by the 1980s, it was becoming more obvious that the media had axes to grind with certain views and beliefs and agendas.  But according to polls, many Americans still clung to the idea that the press was a reliable source of information.  By the 1990s, however, where the media lined up agenda and bias-wise was pretty clear. If Rush Limbaugh accomplished nothing else, he was able to display the press's increasingly naked partisanship on a national stage for all to see.

Now journalism is not even pretending. During the Trump years, almost every major news outlet could have printed the disclaimer 'Here to defeat Trump at all costs' under their headlines.  They didn't even hide it.  Nor do they report in most cases.  They openly advocate.  

For instance, I didn't see a single news story about BLM in 2020. I saw cheerleading and celebrating and praising and supporting.  I saw no major news outlet actually look to see what BLM was and if it was actually correct in its premises.  Now the press exists to walk that fine line of not letting Biden destroy too much of the country while making sure his disastrous presidency doesn't taint  the Left's reputation.  

But the idea that what Couric and company did with Ginsburg's interview - censoring Ginsburg's criticism of St. Kaepernick's NFL protests - is just business as usual for the press.  Always has been, always will be.  Please don't act like this is some freakish fluke that probably never happens normally.  It's time we are honest about reality, because lying about it has gotten us here.  And the last thing any sane or competent person should ever want is to be here, where we are today. 

This is Fake News Pope Francis

This.  The Gray Lady released a story based on anonymous sources providing evidence they can't cite.  And what does it say? That Donald Trump considered removing Mueller from the investigation.  Of course headlines were variations of "Trump tried to fire Mueller, White House Counsel Intervened!"

What happened?  Apparently, based on the anonymous sources, Trump suggested there were three points of conflict of interest with Mueller and considered removing him - which, I believe, is his legal right.  White House counsel, however, did what White House counsel does. It advised Trump not to go through with it.  And this is the crazy part: He didn't!  He said OK, and moved on.  Contrary to late night comedy memes, he listened to his advisers.

In other words, it's no big deal.  I realize we live in an era where the postmodern Left is working overtime to turn accusations into proof.  It seeks to convince us that all it takes is to say someone is guilty and, depending on the person and the convenience at the moment, that's enough to convict.

But the whole story is one giant insinuation.  It plays to the base.  It also helps deflect from Trump's immigration deal which, while angering diehards on the anti-Immigration side, will likely be hard for everyone else to reject, if they actually care about immigrants.  It keeps alive the 'he's guilty, now all we need is the evidence' movement that yearns to remove Trump from office.

The point of this is that the story is nothing news.  It is, to coin the phrase, "Fake News.'"  In that it is not news, but an attempt to make not news look like serious news.  There is nothing newsworthy about it.  This is what Presidents do.  "Hey, I think we should do this."  "No Mr. President, here is why."  "OK, we won't."

But its point isn't to inform, it's to attack.  I'd like to think this is what Pope Francis was talking about when he spoke of Fake News being an evil.  I really would.