Build credibility through philosophical diversity
I appreciate the launch of the Herald's "Facts Matters" series. Although now receiving heightened attention, "fake news," has been around forever. As an example, decades ago, my work for a public body that made decisions in monthly public meetings of elected trustees required my presence at them. Several press representatives regularly "covered" these meetings and wrote about them. When I'd read the stories, I couldn't help but wonder if I and the press reps had been at different meetings. Factual errors and mischaracterizations of discussions and motives were rife in the printed reports.
We are in an era of "big government" and, thus, proportionally, we get more news - real, biased, or fake - about government, politics, and politicians than in the past. Toss in the special interest websites and social media bloggers, and such "news" abounds. More of this type of news is called fake.
Today's assertions of fake news are given credence because, apart from Hillary Clinton, the media were the biggest losers in the 2017 election campaign. The modern media's "holier than thou" mask was ripped off as the media's collusion with, and nearly unanimous support for Democrat candidates was made evident. Any illusion the public may have had about the media being bastions of fairness that played news stories "straight down the middle" were dashed. Today, media credibility is, justifiably, in the tank.
Certainly, news providers present information through their own prisms - which are informed by their life and work experiences and education. That's the problem. Those who worship at the altar of diversity want none in the media business. Numerous studies have shown that liberals/leftists dominate the mainstream media - where only an estimated 7 percent are Republicans. Also, at the universities which produce media types, studies show a 12:1 ratio of liberals to conservatives on their faculties.
One way to counter fake news is to introduce philosophical diversity on university campuses and in media organizations.
Charles F. Falk
Schaumburg