Politics and Media – Two Peas in A Pod?

By H. Janet Stephens Sacarello, BA, MA

Hallelujah! The competition is over and the mail load will decline, at least for a few months.  Now we can look forward to the main event later in the year.

Let’s discuss future government leaders.  I’m sure there are various opinions held by readers of this blog, and I have mine.  That’s the good thing about the good ole USA, we are allowed to speak our opinions, called freedom of speech, you know.  (However, you do need to deliver your opinion as an opinion, not a fact, and preferably without a name involved or if the person referred to hears it you could get sued.)  So much for Freedom of Speech.

I’m aware that some of my readers are Democrats and some are Republicans.  My political opinions are not directed toward the good and decent US citizens, but toward political leaders who are acting like spoiled brats, pouting and crying because their party lost an election.

Myself, I’m registered as a Republican because the first time I was old enough to vote, age 21, I voted in a Republican Primary because my candidate of choice happened to be a Republican.  However, I have always voted for the candidate, not the political Party.  Previously I’ve voted for both Democrats and Republicans. 

In my opinion, the boo-hoo mentality behavior of some, not all, of the Democrat leadership leads to make me believe that President Donald Trump was the right person to bring our country back to a “great” mental and moral nation.  These leaders seem to have forgotten that the U. S. President was elected by “the people,” and showing public disrespect to the President is bad-mouthing and showing disrespect to “the people,” in my opinion.  As I said earlier, I’ve always voted for the person not the party.  I’ve always been a “never say never” person, but the way some State and National Democratic leaders act following their presidential loss, a Democrat candidate would need to rate high in honesty, moral values, intelligence and mental capacity beyond a doubt for me to vote for him or her.  Some of the candidates indicated they were “fighters.”  We don’t need more fighters; we need conservative negotiators with proven high moral values and flexibility.

Now, let’s discuss the media.  Following are some journalism dos and don’ts tips to help you identify Fake News: 

1.     Journalists should not ever express personal opinions in their reporting.  (News Nation follows that rule, except they invite people onto the show to give their opinions, which is the same thing in my opinion.)

2.  When reporting, reporters (or news media) should not say, “57 percent of Americans …” unless they have interviewed every American in the U.S.  They can, and should, say “57 percent of Americans interviewed,” or “57 Percent of the people who responded to the poll ....”  Unless they report their findings in this manner they are insinuating, they have personally interviewed all American citizens or that all American citizens responded to the poll.  I’ve never been polled or interviewed.  Have you?  Aren’t we American citizens?

3.   Guests or reporters should never say, “Americans are tired of …”   I’m an American and I’ve never even met or been interviewed by these people.  How do they know what tires me?  What I’m tired of are reporters, pollsters and guests on media news shows including me in the things they are determining what tires Americans.

4.   Also, this item was never included in journalistic curriculum because it had never been an issue.  Somewhere down the road someone decided what could or may possibly happen should be touted as news.  Journalists should report news as it happens, not before it happens.

I will leave you with this:  whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, pray diligently that God will continue to bless the United States of America. ¢

(The Lord’s Covenant of Peace) -- Ezekiel 34:25-26—²⁵And I will make with them a covenant of peace and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.  ²⁶ And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.”  (KJV)