By Colter Hettich, Features Editor
Fox News and CNN do not have flags. The Orange County Register and the New York Times do not have anthems or salutes.
Do not pledge allegiance to them. Do not swallow every word that comes from any media outlet without question.
Consider the cold, hard fact that humans write every word of the news – humans who make mistakes, humans who have opinions and humans who rarely have the time or resources to get every perspective.
Sympathetic media is part of a broader problem: an increasing disinterest in objectivity and open debate. John Milton wrote it best, “Let [Truth] and falsehood grapple; whoever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter?”
The 2008 presidential election drew a line in America’s sand – Democrats on one side, Republicans on the other. A head-to-head democratic contest, particularly one with the highly pervasive campaigning of 2008, elicits loyal support. But much of that sentiment outlived the election, furthering division.
The Sean Hannitys and Keith Olbermanns of national media thrive on this division. They make it appear as though professional journalists interpret the news, instead of fulfilling their true obligation: reporting the news. Biased commentators have blurred the essential line between opinion and news.
This trend would have been far less dangerous 100 years ago; in fact, newspapers began as platforms for politicians to further their agendas. But technology has allowed individuals to drown themselves in concurring opinion, via mobile devices, television, newspapers, magazines, blogs, satellite radio and others. Milton’s “open encounters” should be more prevalent than ever; but instead, we seem to use these avenues to seek out others who agree with us, falsely affirming the Truth in our ideology.
Join me in rocking this trend, from the grassroots up. Let us cast mainstream labels aside and define ourselves with something greater than liberal, conservative, moderate or independent. Do not be ashamed if you feel a beloved ideal losing its hold; but more importantly, do not be proud if you help another refine his or her stance.
