Straight Up, Straight Down

Christy Wills: There is no right or wrong. There is only opinion.
Brantley Foster: You know, in some states you can get arrested for saying that.
--Secret of My Success

Sheryl Attkison discusses why the production of fake news, which involves so called news professionals committing gaffes that would not be tolerated in journalism school, is widespread today. She focuses on three factors.

Excellent breakdown of how #FakeNews is made.@SharylAttkissonhttps://t.co/7m1L7VaKCB

— PragerU (@prageru) November 8, 2018

First, firewalls that used to strictly separate news from opinion in media organizations have become blurred. Previously forbidden practices such as editorializing in straight news reports and the inclusion of opinion as fact are not only tolerated, but encouraged.

Second, regardless of their like or dislike for a politician, journalists are obligated to treat all politicians the same. Unfortunately this obligation has been discarded in favor of a double standard. Coverage with kid gloves for friendlies; hostile coverage for enemies.

Third is what Attkison calls transactional journalism. Journalists have become willing to slant coverage in order to get something in return--like favorable access to a particular person or information worthy of a scoop. Doing so, of course, constitutes a violation of basic ethics.

Because they can no longer get their news straight up, many information consumers are pointing their thumbs straight down at mainstream media sources that have completely abdicated their responsibility for objectivity.