Kony, This American Life's recent Apple Story Retraction, and the Trayvon Martin debacle all have me wanting to rage about the same thing. So here I go.
Journalists:
Recommit yourself to telling a full and honest story, and give your readers a little more credit. I'm sick of getting only the emotional half of the story, and you should be ashamed. Your 10th grade Journalism teacher taught you better. (At least mine did.)
America:
As long as you keep rewarding the media for giving you the syrupy, dramatic, most easily digestable version of every story, they will continue to leave out facts they don't trust you to interpret for yourself.
Stop getting your news from 2 minute segments on 24 hour cable news.
Stop getting your news from headlines and photographs instead of articles and facts.
Stop making knee-jerk opinions.
Start demanding all the facts and nothing less than exceptional, ethical journalism.
And for crying out loud, please accept that the world is not black and white, and just because it is many shades of gray doesn't mean that you are allowed to give up on making the world better.
Be the best version of yourself. Don't break your promises. Never stop forming your principles.
Journalists:
Recommit yourself to telling a full and honest story, and give your readers a little more credit. I'm sick of getting only the emotional half of the story, and you should be ashamed. Your 10th grade Journalism teacher taught you better. (At least mine did.)
America:
As long as you keep rewarding the media for giving you the syrupy, dramatic, most easily digestable version of every story, they will continue to leave out facts they don't trust you to interpret for yourself.
Stop getting your news from 2 minute segments on 24 hour cable news.
Stop getting your news from headlines and photographs instead of articles and facts.
Stop making knee-jerk opinions.
Start demanding all the facts and nothing less than exceptional, ethical journalism.
And for crying out loud, please accept that the world is not black and white, and just because it is many shades of gray doesn't mean that you are allowed to give up on making the world better.
Be the best version of yourself. Don't break your promises. Never stop forming your principles.
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