The Time Has Come to Pick a Side
I grew up in the era of Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow, a time when TV newscasters used a "just the facts, ma'am" approach to delivering the news -without editorial comment, and without regard to the political opinions of their employers.
But that was before TV journalism devolved into newsotainment, before news outlets relied on flashy sets and flash-card chyrons to garner an audience. More importantly, it was before both-siderism became the norm, and "fair and balanced" came to mean neither.
It would be nice if we could go back to a time when the political events of the day were recounted without the pretense that the statements and actions of those on one side of the political aisle need to be countered with something presented as equally egregious from the other side.
It would be of great service to our nation if - by way of glaring example - the January 6th insurrection was not compared to citizens protesting racial injustice. The latter was a means of drawing attention to a just cause - the former was an attempt to overthrow our democracy - and any effort to equate the two is, by default, "taking a side".
Having grown up in the days when the news actually was premised on not taking sides, I never thought I would say the following. But given where we are as a nation, and given that there are no means by which we can go back to truly neutral reportage, it actually IS a time when journalists have to pick a side and report accordingly.
This IS the time when bothsiderism has to be struck down, a time when the words and actions of the party that incited, supported, funded and continues to defend an attack on our democracy are relentlessly driven home, without any spineless, mealy-mouthed mutterings about how their behaviour has to be somehow weighed and measured against the behaviour of those who oppose them.
There is no longer any wiggle room left for newscasters and/or journalists. There are no longer any sidelines on which to park your asses and comment from, as though you have no skin in the game. There is no neutral territory to run to because you're too afraid to speak the truth.
The Republicans are anxious for civil war, and are using every means possible to incite it.
So it's time to pick which side you're on - because the way things are going, the day may come when you might not have a choice at all.
= new reply since forum marked as read
You are a treasure.
... but I am hardly a 'treasure'.
I'm just an ordinary American speaking out in extraordinary times - and I am not alone in doing so.
