With all of the tribal BS going on, the folks who are supposed to report on the news seem to spend a lot of time correcting others. It has grown commonplace for very biased sources to make things up and watch the more legitimate news sources report on the lack of veracity of the biased source. To be honest,, news reports of the lack of veracity of some opinion hosts is not really news to me.
It should be noted this is all by design, as it gets people talking about nothing important overlooking the fact that things are not getting done. The other unfortunate objective is to discredit the whole news process. If sources with lots of followers lie often, and more reputable news sources get caught in a lie, it defames the news credibility. We just witnessed almost six years of a former candidate and president routinely claim that all negative news about him was “fake news.” Just because he said it was fake, did not necessarily mean it was not true.
But, this also impacts other politicians. As a group, politicians are not known for their truthfulness. And, some are well known for not being consistently truthful. This former candidate called an opponent “Lyin’ Ted” and was not far from the truth, yet he failed to look in the mirror when he made the accusation. Sadly, if a politican says something, check other sources. The body politic has earned this requirement.
So, if I see things in my browser that are he said/ she said stuff, I pass. Nowadays, if I see a picture of the former president who is not known for his veracity, I pass. The same goes for certain opinion hosts and politicians, as their words are usually less than truthful, so I pass.
musingsofanoldfart 
The saddest part is that while you, I, and most of our readers are astute enough to check multiple sources in order to verify something we’ve read, far too many people rely on a single source, often one that goes in for sensationalism above truth. Thus we have millions of people who still believe the Big Lie and some of those will act on their beliefs. There needs to be accountability for politicians, but also for the news media … but there can be none until people start learning to sift fact from detritus.
Jill, so true. I was reminded today that one of the legal defenses by Fox News of the Tucker Carlson show against the Dominion Voting system defamation lawsuit, is the Carlson show should not be viewed as a news show and is an entertainment show. When you see it put this simply, it sheds the appropriate light. Yet, its followers think it is a news show. Keith
Exactly! Rather like that Sidney Powell person whose defense was almost exactly the same … that no reasonable person would have believed her lies! Sigh.
Jill, remember Senator John Kyl’s line to the reporter who caught him in a lie, “Your problem is you mistook what I said as the truth.” In others words, it is your fault I am lying. Or, the explanatory line from the comedy movie “Animal House, ” when the car was trashed – “”you effed up, you trusted us.” Keith
The comedians are now more revered than the politicians.
🙉 wht’s wrong with this monkey business. Nice post title! 🌷
Thanks Cindy. True. One of the best news shows is “Last Week Tonight” with John Oliver and “The Daily Show” is also much better than many so called news shows. I saw where Ted Cruz mocked “The Daily Show” saying it “used to be funny. The retort is Senators used to be respected. Keith
I get this a lot too. I don’t even bother tuning in to the news anymore because I’m tired of the biased viewpoints lacking evidence.
Thanks Ang. We have to do more homework, don’t we? One of my sons, my wife and I were talking about Walter Cronkite. Like Edward R. Murrow, if they reported it, it was believable. Keith
I don’t know if I mentioned it once: Over here we say “paper is patient” which means that you must not believe what you read in the newspaper. Of course, you can convert it to digital news as well. Your post also reminds me of a Buddha quote: “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
Well said, Erika. My boss said something similar, “Believe half of what you read and nothing of what you hear.” Thanks, Keith
Oh I do like Erika’s Buddha quote as well as your boss’s words. Could I quote that on my own blog post referencing Buddha and Erika/yourself?
As far as drumming up a story to create a buzz, can I ask if these journalist follow any ethics?
The panel style opinion shows are really nothing more than gossipy wastes of time usually staffed by so called experts, who are far from that.
Amanda, you have my permission and I am sure Erika would concur, but I will leave it up to her. Ethics seem to situational and, nonexsistent” in these opinion people’s minds. There are many excellent opinion people out there, but they tend to get beat out on by all sides, a true sign you are getting it right. By the way, you made me think of the line from a Jethro Tull song which speaks of “sand castle virtues” that wash away in the high tide. Keith
That’s a very good one too!!
Note to Readers: I saw where a guy named Rudy, who is in the news a lot these days over two different legal matters, appeared on one of the entertainment based (per Fox) opinion shows on Fox whose host is also the subject of one of the legal matters Rudy is under. Call me crazy, but should not Rudy, who is an attorney, be silent about his litigation, just as his host should, you know the guy named Tucker. The one they both are under is related to the defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems for not offering evidence of claims against them sullying their reputation. But, Fox noted in their defense no one should take Tucker seriously because his is an entertainment show.
This similar to pro wresting admitting in writing it is all staged to avoid paying taxes as a sporting event in New Jersey. They noted they are not a sport, but a show. Yet, like Tucker’s fans, the pro wrestling fans think it is real. If you doubt this, 78% of Republicans think Trump actually won the election. And, this is how these folks can get away with just making stuff up. When people in leadership do not correct a lie, it gets a shelf life and people believe it. It is worse when the most consistent prevaricator is the former president.
So, a private group is recounting the votes in Arizona.
Resa, apparently so. The former president has only won one small court case out of well over 60. That is an extremely poor track record which seems to be lost on his followers. Then, there is that seditious action thing. Keith
His followers… it’s like a cult. If he told them to drink the cool-aid, they would. I wish he would tell them to get vaccinated!
Resa, that would be too much of a public service for him to do that. As for the Kool-Aid, I saw where Mike Pence is showing fealty to Trump still. This is appalling in that he put a target on Pence (and his family who were there with him) on January 6. Pence was in danger and yet he still pleads fealty. The raw cowardice of this loyalty is unsettling. You and your family almost died because of this seditious and deceitful former president, but I guess he did not really mean it. Keith
Keith, I sense you’re missing T*****! Lol 😂
David, you mean he who shall not be named? Keith
How soon we forget, hehe😅. Being so sensitive my PC sensibilities did not wish to inadvertently offend USA cousins.
David, with some of the crazy stuff that goes on here, we deserve to be offended. Maybe we need more folks like you to write to Americans and ask them what is up with “fill in the blank?” Keith