“Fake News” has been a mantra on the right since President Trump started repeating the term during the 2016 presidential election. He ramped up his attacks on the media once he was President. Meanwhile, leftists have been attempting to turn the tables on this mantra by calling out everything they can as being “fake news” from the right.
Both sides are correct on this issue. Fake news is rampant on television and across the internet as tribal loyalties are considered more important than the sober truth on most issues. The left seems to have the market cornered on fake news, but the right is not above its use. This needs to change, but we cannot rely on mainstream media, leftist news outlets, or social media to make it happen.
The only way we can get back to delivering truth to the masses is if the old guard and rising stars of conservative media do everything we can to be completely honest in our reporting. This is more than just turning the tide on the leftist lurch that’s happening across America. It’s the only way we can put an end to progressive propaganda being the primary source of information that Americans consume.
At NOQ Report, we operate on three basic principles for delivering the news, opinions, and quotes that Americans need in order to understand what’s happening in the world around us.
First, we choose to only report news that is factual. Having a clear distinction between what is news and what is opinion is an absolute requirement of honorable journalists. This should be a nobrainer to all news outlets in America, but the spin doctors at most media outlets are pulling the strings on how to present facts in a way that supports their chosen ideology. We’ve seen this in its grossest form any time we turn on CNN or read a Buzzfeed article, but it’s also present at Fox News, Breitbart, and the Daily Caller. Intermingled with the facts, most news outlets sprinkle their spin to make their point even if the facts don’t necessarily match what they’re reporting. To make the media work properly again, news should be news. You will notice on many of our news articles, we add a section at the bottom labeled “My Take.” Whatever perspectives the author wants to contribute to the news, the can put it here. Everything above that section must be purely factual.
Second, editorial departments should be willing to follow an ideology rather than a tribe. To understand how this works, let’s look at the subject of bigotry. Just in the last week, we’ve highlighted multiple instances of bigotry being perpetrated by a wide variety of individuals. We called out Democrats when they demonstrated clear antisemitism, but we also noted when they took a stand against the bigotry of the Women’s March. We reported on the failed use of identity politics by Areva Martin, but we also called out Roseanne Barr for her false claims of antisemitism. Picking one side or the other is disingenuous. Instead, outlets need to be consistent with their ideology and call out anyone who goes against them while praising anyone who does right regardless of their political affiliation. Only then can we get out of the tribal mentality and focus on the ideas that can pull America back from the brink.
Finally, conservative news outlets must stop focusing only on the negative. But there are amazing things being done by Americans every day, and these things do not get nearly the same attention as the latest scandal that drives America’s faith in society deeper towards despair. I’m not suggesting everything needs to be happy-go-lucky, but pointing only at the bad perpetuates the hatred and anger Americans are feeling. We need to be uplifted, and there are plenty of uplifting stories that never get told by the media.
The ultimate responsibility of the press is to inform the people of the truth. In a world where everything is spun to support or oppose a party or a person, it’s no wonder “fake news” is so rampant. We choose to change that paradigm. Are Americans ready to demand more from their media outlets? You should.
I’m Tammy Rucker. Thank you for listening.
If you agree with this message, please consider donating to NOQ Report. Fighting fake news isn’t hard, but it isn’t cheap, either.
