Does anyone remember when the source of knowing what was going on in the world was the newspaper, which had a morning and evening delivery? Then the television had news, with Walter Cronkite and others like he, telling us the news morning, noon and evening. Just the news. Radio was the away from home source for news. All had news, what was happening, headlines of what we missed during the night. Maybe some of it was slanted, or biased, but most was the news. The information. Given to the people to discern for themselves what it meant. Little of it had anything to do with the private lives of others. Just the facts that were pertinent to us.
Not anymore. We have computers, smartphones, smartwatches. Social media allows news affiliates, and any person who has an opinion,thought or fact, shares to all who are ‘signed up’. The problem is, too many people consider their thoughts and opinions are fact. And the same too many do not know the difference between a thought and an opinion.
A great many people mistake opinions for thought. Herbert V. Prochnow
News media has lost sight of fact and opinion. They get a few facts and decide what in their opinion will draw ratings and fabricate the rest. Which essentially is lying.
Objective journalism and an opinion column are about as similar as the Bible and Playboy magazine.–Walter Cronkite
I'm Not So Petty 