Many would argue the 1st Amendment, freedom of speech and freedom of the press, but this brings up challenges within itself. What if the freedom of speech and press is inflammatory and spews hate and fear that could destroy the very fabric of our nation? Obvious example today is the inflammatory cartoon in the NY Post and it is the continued broadcast of people’s accusations of one another, blaming fellow Americans for the economic crisis. This is ignorant and narrow minded journalism.
I am reminded of the movie, “Good Night and Good Luck,” about journalist Edward R Murrow and his quest to undo the harmful lies, twisted ideologies and fear mongering from Senator Joseph McCarthy who was propagating fear throughout the county of communist infiltration. Many innocent Americans were being arrested because they were believed to be communists or communist sympathizers. This was less than Sixty years ago and yet today the lessons of this are still not learned by many in our nation. It was journalist Edward R Murrow who had the courage, the conviction and found it to be his responsibility to challenge McCarthy and bring him to justice. It was his speech below that should set the president for today’s media.
“We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that
accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due
process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven
by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine,
and remember that we are not descended from fearful men — not from men who
feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were, for the
moment, unpopular.”
Edward R Murrow
I am personally flabbergasted by the lies and mistruths that are being broadcasted today and left unchallenged (ideologies left open for the American public to decide). Responsibility is in the hands of the messenger. The American public is not allowed in press rooms, we do not read what comes off the wire daily and we simply do not have access to where the true really lies. In the state of our nation today, it is vitally important the Americans are presented the TRUTH and not someone’s personal agenda or ideology. The only journalist I have seen question, challenge and untwist mistruths is Keith Olbermann and ironically it is he who reminds us of the courageous Edward R Murrow.
Today’s lies and distorted facts that are allowed to be broadcast are dangerous. The problem being is we do not have a crystal ball to see if and how the hateful lies being broadcast will affect our future, maybe not at all or maybe it will inspire violence that would outrage this entire nation, turn all of us against one another and spark a violent revolution. Yes, it has happened before in our nation and it can happen again. And this time, the blood will be on the journalist’s hands, who have presented lies, promoted fear and hate and stood idly by believing it is not their job to challenge.
We have seen in our nation’s history and world history how lies and twisted truths can devastate a nation. We have seen how the promotion of fear and paranoia can play out in people’s minds and hearts. And this is the journalist’s grave responsibility to present the facts, that are not glossed over and sugar coated, not with special effects that dazzle and not with the opinions of people who really have no concept of what is truly going on in the world. It is dangerous.
I leave you with another Edward R Murrow speech seen here from the movie Good Night and Good Luck. Only with good, solid honest information do we have the power to change the world for the better. Good Night and Good Luck.
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