By Tommy Acosta —
Sedona, AZ – Journalists come in all kinds of different sizes, shapes, and colors.
We have the journalist—the quintessential journalists, those journalists out there who will put their lives on the line to get the story. They brave hurricanes, floods, fires, natural disasters, and volcanoes.
They put themselves in danger without any care or concern for their own lives, except that of getting the story out to the public. You’ll see them at wars, you’ll see them going after the mob, going after corrupt governments where journalists are regularly blown up and killed just for trying to get that story.
But they are brave. They are resolute. They want the public to know and are willing to risk their lives to get that story out. Yes, these are the journalists who uncover corrupt politicians and scandals and go in there and get that story honestly, with bravery and nobility. Those are the kinds of journalists that we deserve
Then there’s a different kind of journalist: editors, publishers, who have seen it all, done it all, and no longer claim to hold a monopoly on what news is. They create content and build platforms for people to have fun, to be seen, to be heard, to be able to respond to other publications that put them down when they have no recourse.
These kinds of journalists are there to entertain; to give people a chance to express their views and argue, to create fun, to educate, to help people better understand themselves and the world. They offer the public a chance to write, to do their own articles ; to become part of something bigger than themselves.
These kinds of journalists have done it all—they’ve been through it all, they’ve seen it all, and now they’re like leaning back and just enjoying the fun, providing a place for the public to be heard and for approaching articles from a different perspective altogether than those journalists who claim to know the truth.
Then there are the journalists who spout ethics and rules and regulations by which a journalist should live by, rules meant to be obeyed in order to be called honest, coming up with all these “should be’s” and “shouldn’t be’s.” Meanwhile they themselves are unconsciously guilty of breaking the very rules they claim journalists should follow.
They think they know everything. They think they’re reporting. They think they’re being unbiased, but meanwhile they are totally biased despite what they claim. These are journalists who attack the little guy without giving them a platform to fight back.
Then there are the journalists who do so for power or prestige and utilize their platform consciously to gain power, to push their perspective, to gain stature in the community with a hammer, to get what they want. They form alliances with others against others, and they do so fully conscious of the act itself.
Then there are the worst-of-the worst journalists: those who are boring! When one picks up a newspaper or reads the news online, they don’t just want sterile facts—they want to be roused. They want emotional content. They want to feel the articles, not just read bunches of words that appear on the screen or page. It’s not about the ink. It’s about the feel.
So yes, we have all kinds of journalists in this world-in big cities, at the federal level, in small towns.
But be aware that sometimes those who cry the loudest for truth and justice are often the first to defy what they spew.
8 Comments
Tommy I too respect real journalists. Not big mouths podcasters hocking their wares for profit in conjunction with spreading lie and innuendos. But rather Accredited Licensed journalists who actually attended college to become journalists. Not pseudo journalists on news parody channels either.
Unfortunately they’re the first target of tryrants as we’ve seen under Trump who has slandered, belittled, harassed and even sued because they spoke truth to his power.
If it weren’t for real journalists, especially the combat correspondents we’d all be in the dark. Corrupt law enforcement would get away with corruption, cover ups, lies, unwarranted beatings and murder. Politicians would get away with the same as would CEO’s, Doctors, Lawyers, Judges and everyone journalist have investigated for decades upon decades both here and abroad.
State Run TV as seen in Chyyner, Rusher, N Koreaer, Iran, Syria and many other Tyrant run countries is not news it’s a one sided opinion of news worthy stories slanted always to make “the supreme leader” look their best as they lie, cheat, steal, plunder, torture and murder their own citizens.
State Run TV is the goal of the Trump Administration who have influenced and overseen the dismantling of our free news and free press by threatening and backing hostile takeovers of numerous news outlets, streaming services and even Hollywood where Trump injected fellow draft dodger Sly Stallone, Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, and Jon Voight were appointed as his “Special Ambassadors” or “Special Envoys” to Hollywood. So he would have eyes and ears on any Hollywood projects he disagrees with and can do his criminal best to shut them down rather than respecting the First Amendment Right to peaceful protest him.
Journalist are the eyes ears and voice of many oppressed people both here and abroad. They’re not all perfect and have the same failings anyone else has. But the fact is they chose a profession that isn’t always easy or safe and yet they go out and get the stories anyway. They’re a fail safe to Democracy and all who respect the 1st Amendment should appreciate what they do for us.
Then there is the ersatz journalist who shows up at government meetings, tries to make himself part of the story, spouts off from the lectern, and embarrasses himself without realizing it. We are not laughing with you. We are laughing at you. You know who you are. Actually, no. Maybe you don’t. Carry on, clown.
The WH press pool has been flooded with right wing extremist and conspiracy theory nut jobs who have a voice via their Podcast or propaganda media outlets like Faux News but are not journalists and never ever were. They don’t even have legitimate investigative skills otherwise they’d fact check themselves. The real journalists have been harassed and berated and even temporarily barred from WH and Pentagon access for exercising their 1st Amendment right to report on the truth and fact of matter rather than a slanted one sided propaganda piece designed to make people committing crimes and grifting the country look bad for telling the truth. Fortunately both lost in appeals court and we still have legitimate journalists willing to do their job and put up with the clown show that is the Trump Administration harassing them on a daily basis for doing their jobs.
Thank you Tommy for pointing out something many of us knew but were too scared to say.
The Red Rock News is the most opinionated and unfair newspaper in Northern Arizona. They are vengeful and cruel, especially to those who can’t fight back. Look at what they did to Scott Jablow after he resigned.
At most Jablow was guilty of caring too much for our city and forgetting the rules by which elected city officials must abide. After the mayor resigned, after being savaged by the Red Rock News calling for his head, they began referring to him as “the disgraced former mayor” a-la-Epstein.
Disgraced!! How cruel. How petty. How mean. What was his sin other than loving Sedona too much and getting carried away?
Thanks again. It’s about time someone stood up to those bullies. And you are right about the paper becoming more boring every issue. When they lost Tim Perry they lost their soul. Thank you for Sedina.biz. Steve Duvol could not have left it in better hands.
When they lost Tim Perry they lost their soul? Is that a joke? Perry is the cruelest of the lot. He still constantly attacks Jablow. He called Lew Hoyt a prominent local killer. He goes after Matforce because he thinks schoolkids should take drugs. He makes up stories about the police. He wrote some good stuff at the RR News but he’s gone off the deep end since then. Makes me think his former editor kept him on a short leash.
I was talking about journalism in general. Not any specific publication.
“… Not any specific publication …” right. Sure. We know who you mean. *wink *wink
The sword of Goliath bows to the rock of David. Dulled pens waste ink. Your pen slices. Ares awakens. Athena smiles.