Journalism: Truth-telling, or merely the rapid dissemination of political talking points?

Jerry Curry notes that

Once, journalism meant collecting and truthfully refining information until it could be honestly presented to the public as fact. If a story could not be substantiated beyond a reasonable doubt by at least two witnesses it was not offered up by the news media for public distribution. Unfortunately, now the profession of journalism has become so corrupted and dishonest that its practice is little more than the rapid dissemination of political talking points.

That is why Seymour Hersh is so angry and upset, because he is convinced that his comrades, America’s journalists, aren’t doing their jobs. They are refusing to challenge the lies and untruths of an Administration that he believes is nothing but one big lie. He maintains that, “Our job is to go beyond the debate and find out who’s right and who’s wrong about issues … it’s like you don’t dare be an outsider anymore.”

Regurgitating talking points is not the same as truth telling, especially when journalists are speaking truth to power.

Just as only “We the People” can take back our government, only We the People can redefine and recapture the practice of truth telling in journalism.