Fake News Sells, But I Ain't Buyin'

"I heard the world up, late night
holding my breath tight,
trying to keep my head on right.
There's a chill in the air.
Nobody could care,
how you're caught up in the fight of your life"
- "Heard the World" O.A.R.

Morning television news is typically hit and miss. Sometimes while you are all sleeping not much actually happens. Me, I have insomnia and it can get pretty out of hand sometimes. So as one of those who comes out at night, I can tell you not much is really going on. When the morning news hits, it is usually when something so traumatic happened late at night that most of us, with a conscious wish it was a morning of "misses". Still there is a profound difference in stale news and fake news. Whatever we read in a newspaper or see in the television media should be at least "newsworthy." This morning, the whole story of the Tiger Woods accident was release. Most propably hoped for some actual breaking news to occur. This is not to hope for tragic news. Any news worthy material would have done the trick.

It was bad enough seeing this story make headlines the first time. Society does not rise or fall based on the exploits of any athlete or celebrity. Even the O.J. Simpson trial had more coverage than necessary. Hearing this story again a few months later is ridiculous, to say the least. The story itself however, wasn't the real problem.

Scandals being regurgitated is typical and wasting valuable time ranting about that would be ridiculous as well. When the news anchor explained a blogger from "The Daily Beast" had uncovered the truth with thorough investigative journalism, it should've struck a nerve. Is that what we are calling it these days? Journalism? Investigative journalism? Digging through underwear drawers, hiding in the shadows of celebrity neighborhoods, honing in on sewing circle gossip, and fact checking with TMZ, has that become journalism?

The blogosphere has ruined the very idea of journalism. Rather than using a refreshing new media tool to help society better understand the tools of its own framework these morons are literally feeding the "beast." The gears within the engine of the propaganda machine are turning smoother than ever. The teeth are stronger than ever. All of this leading to Western culture's epic downfall, the creation of an apathetic and oblivious society. Tabloids were once considered the B-movies of news sources. These days they are given nearly equal merit as major news outlets. The blame game would take an eternity to complete, but it begins with those major news outlets.

Effective and unbiased journalism has literally crumbled to the hands of the opinion media and the trash media. The old days of the unbiased news anchor have evaporated. More people turn to Bill O'Reiley, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Chris Matthews, Keith Oberman, and Rachel Maddow than to the Nightly news. It is increasingly bizarre how those who watch MSNBC become heated over how biased the FOX News Channel can be. Equally strange, are those who watch the FOX News Channel and dare label every other outlet too left-biased. It's a game of pot and kettle and everybody's serving the same tea in different cups. No news source should be solely promote any ideology.

I enjoy writing an opinion column and having a podium to speak my mind from. If however, my opinions were leading people to lesser inform themselves, that column would be a gross failure. No columnist should care if you agree or disagree with his or her work. They should strive implore the reader to check against the words of their ideals. Readers should not disagree because the columnist is too liberal or too conservative. They should generate a living opinion, and not be scared to step out of the box every now and then regardless of who is looking .

I don't know much but if there is anything life has taught me humanity, at its best is a revolution never fully revolved. We can't be set in our ways and we can't allow people to think for us. We as citizens should demand more of our news media. The press was not created to entertain but to inform. The opinion press does not exist to push an agenda but to solidify your opinions on all sides of any argument. If you agree with a opinionated media person then those opinions should provide more weight to your argument. At the same time, if you disagree it should create a reaction within you which challenges a greater argument. Agendas within the press are dehumanizing and actively violate the essence of liberation. Agenda-influenced media is simply propaganda used to control. Let's all demand more of our media. Demand all media to no longer misinterpret the first amendment, but instead to protect those such an amendment was created for. That's what has been cooking under the hat this week. Thank you for reading.