Validity of news report is concerning

Less than a week before we have a new president in the White house, the division in our nation is taking front page in the news. Having a "sore loser" is not new in the world of politics, but it normally would not rise to this political level -- the presidency -- nor reach the tempo we are now experiencing. The availability of mass communication channels such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. has taken the "game of news" to an entirely new level.

Like most everyone who reads this, I am a simple citizen not invited to my senator's private meetings and dependent on news organizations -- primarily television -- to keep me abreast of what is gong on in the world, particularly Washington, D.C. When the information they receive and share as "news" is tainted by false information, misinformation, outright lies and further twisted by bias, those of us outside the beltway are victims of our constitutionally protected freedom of expression. Speaking of television news as a source of information requires you further explain what network you rely on, whether a specific news channel for that network and finally the anchor, or host of the specific show. If one has the time, patience and willingness to sort through the reports for factual information, one can hear and interpret the same story at least two different ways as it might be offered on Fox versus CNN. As an observer trying to stay abreast of the events that affect my life and health, I am beginning to question news from all the television networks. When does the need to break a story first take priority over considering the possible negative effect of releasing something that is not yet proven fact? Shouldn't taking the responsibility of reporting news that is harmful and divisive to our nation be part of the news media's concern?

Recent "breaking news" told us the Russians "may have" a file on Trump that "could" prove to be embarrassing to President-elect Trump. How that story became public depends strictly on what you watch. To some networks, our intelligence organizations leaked it in a secret briefing. On another program, one network claims it was old news -- true or otherwise. Different networks had different experts not only discussing the communications leak, but also the potential threat of its affect on how Trump will manage the White House and foreign policy. Is that objective news or pure speculation needed to fill out a news program?

At some point in all this, the networks and the liberal Democrats have got to come to grips with the fact that, like it or not, Donald Trump got elected as president of the United States. Why and how Hillary Clinton lost is history and there are other more meaningful topics to report. One news network seems incapable of accepting the fact some voters just might not want to create a Clinton dynasty. Look what happened to the 2016 Bush candidacy. Who wanted to continue that family legacy after two of them were in the White House?

Millions of people perform activities everyday to enhance the life and welfare of others. Why not share more common interest stories and dump the efforts to be the first to report "fake news"? Why do we continue to fan the flames of racial bias and police brutality to fill the airwaves because they want the revenue from the commercial advertising?

One network can report about liberal "black lists" without ever letting us know who they are, who funds the list, or who is on the list. This list may actually exist, but by the time the viewer has started to listen for details, the topic has changed to another "breaking" item.

We see legislators elected to represent their constituents from their home state on national news questioning the validity of the election, stating that they will not accept the outcome of the voting, and making it more than apparent they will not work to make America a better place for their constituents nor for other Americans. Representative Lewis (D. Ga.) has used the television media to spread his own views of the future president and it will have a dramatic influence in black communities way beyond Atlanta. Trump took the bait to Twitter and all America loses in childish behavior like this. How do those people become elected officials, build-up seniority by being re-elected over and over when their attitudes are not conducive to building better relations in our country?

It grows tiresome, apologizing to my sons and future generations for what has happened to America's soul in my lifetime. Can't the television news channels' leadership compromise a few million dollars in commercial sales revenue for the sake of our nation?

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Editor's note: Leo Lynch, an award-winning columnist, is a native of Benton County has deep roots in northwest Arkansas. He is a retired industrial engineer and former Justice of the Peace. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Editorial on 01/18/2017