There was a time when most American’s had faith in our major media markets. Newspapers like the New York Times were considered the gold standard. Major networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC produced nightly news broadcasts to keep us informed on important issues. Sometimes we hear about the good old days when people like Walter Cronkite told us “The way it is.” The reality is that the media botched stories then too, particularly when reporting about the Vietnam War. But they were certainly more respected than they are now.
When something really big happened, like the Kennedy Assassination, we were all glued to our television sets watching history unfold before our very eyes. There are times, such as in the event of a national emergency, when people really need to have a source of information they can trust.
During the Eisenhower administration there was real concern about the potential for a nuclear attack on the United States. Recordings were prepared for broadcast by people with well-known and respected voices. People like Edward R. Murrow, Lowell Thomas, and Arthur Godfrey. The following article provides some interesting documentation regarding this:
WANTED: THE ARTHUR GODFREY DOOMSDAY MESSAGE! (conelrad.com)
Today, there are many polls showing that a majority of people no longer trust the mainstream media. That is a serious problem. Now we get our information from a wide variety of sources, some credible and some incredible. We have also lost faith in some of our most important institutions, such as federal elections. This is hardly the first-time people have questioned the results of an election, with cause. There are numerous reports that JFK was elected, with the help of his father, paying bribes in Chicago. The following article from the Chicago Sun Times provides some background on this story:
Then there was the infamous election of 2000, when George W. Bush squeaked by Al Gore by the narrowest of margins in Florida. One shudders to think of the damage that probably would have been the result of a Gore administration.
But at least in these cases the main stream media acknowledged the obvious, that there were legitimate areas of concern. That all changed following the 2020 election, where the main stream media not only ignored multiple areas of concern, but they also accused former President Trump of telling the big lie when he pointed some of this out. At the same time the main stream media was shrieking at the top of their lungs that the 2020 election was as pure as the wind driven snow, a whole lot of people saw the problems with their own eyes. A Real Clear Politics article published in March of 2022 shows that 52% of Americans think there was substantial election fraud during the 2020 eleciton. Incredibly, 40% of the people who supported Joe Biden also believed that:
New Peer-Reviewed Research Finds Evidence of 2020 Voter Fraud | RealClearPolitics
Yet, even today, the main stream media routines calls any questions about the 2020 election “the big lie.” This blatant refusal to acknowledge obvious facts is probably a major reason why so many people no longer trust the main stream media at all.
In addition to this, it is hard to watch any weather report without someone chiming in ominously that this is irrefutable proof of climate change. They always mean global warming, but people freezing their buns off in the winter aren’t easily persuaded. That is why they use climate change; it means nothing so is very difficult to dispute.
The challenge increasingly is who can we trust. During the Eisenhower days, we had men with very distinct voices that people could trust. Where are those voices today? There were times when a President of the United States spoke directly to the American people, such as President Kennedy during the Cuban missile crisis. One shudders to think of a similar international incident today and expecting President Biden to assure anyone of anything. This is not a minor problem. It is not limited to Joe Biden. A lot of people wouldn’t trust Donald Trump either. No one would trust Kamala Harris.
America desperately needs someone in a position of leadership to take responsibility. Ironically, Fox News firing Tucker Carlson may have elevated him to such a position, whether he is worthy or not. Ironically those who united to tear him down may have only succeeded in building him up. Sometimes the ultimate test of someone’s character can be determined by the quality of those who oppose them. While Tucker may not actually have earned this level of respect, his enemies have most definitely earned their full share of our scorn.
We all need to pay attention to this because this cannot continue. We need to restore trust in our government, our elected officials, our judicial systems and yes, our main stream media. Failure to communicate is no longer an acceptable option. If not Tucker, then who? If not now, when?
TDM