For some reason, there is a substantial minority, but thankfully still a minority, that seems to be willing to throw out the First Amendment if it involves criticism of someone they believe can do no wrong.
The attacks are dangerous. They have inspired dictators all over the world to parrot Trump's "fake news" cry and begin jailing or killing reporters and it is no longer a priority of the U. S. under the Trump Administration to defend the freedoms that have made America stand as a shining beacon of freedom.
When the newspapers elected to print their editorials on the same day, Trump naturally criticized the media again and referred to the act as "collusion."
If joining together to fight for freedom of the press and against a president who clearly does not value that freedom is collusion, then thank God we have more than 300 newspapers in this U. S. that can still raise their voices to fight for that freedom.
And then we have the Joplin Globe.
I have no idea why the Globe did not run an editorial. Perhaps it is burned one too many times by the out-of-touch-with-reality readers who believe the Globe is a liberal newspaper, despite so much evidence to the contrary.
Maybe Community Newspapers Holding, Inc. the out-of-state chain that owns our area's newspaper of record decided that its papers would not print editorials.
Or maybe it's the idea that the Globe, though in the past it has shown pretensions otherwise, is a small-town newspaper. Maybe someone figured that since we were talking about a national issue, perhaps the editorials were better left to the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Kansas City Star, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other metropolitan newspapers.
That argument is a false one.
If you are not willing to use the First Amendment, you could lose the First Amendment.
The number of people who are willing to lump all media together as the enemy or who are not willing to believe anyone who gives them information that is not the same as they hear from their favorite cable news channel or their opinionated radio talk show host has been growing for the past quarter of a century. Now that deadening effect on our nation's discourse has been joined by those who purposely disseminate actual fake news (and it is not our mainstream media that is doing this). The enemy is not only the newspaper that the president refers to as the "failing New York Times," or the Washington Post, it is also the Joplin Globe.
It is not just the newspapers that send reporters to Helsinki with the president, but it is also the newspapers that send reporters to City Hall or to the school board meeting.
I have far more faith in newspapers that nearly always get the story right and when they make a mistake they are willing to admit it and take responsibility for it.
That's not fake news. That is not an enemy of the people.
It is a public service and one that will help us get through these troubled times.
It is a good thing that the media is standing up to the bully at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
It is a shame that the Joplin Globe did not see fit to do the same.
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The Turner Report
1. Judge approves motion granting Jalen Vaden attorney option to ask state to pay for litigation expenses, expert witnesses
2. Appellate court: Meth-addled Newton County couple will not regain custody of four children
3. Probable cause: Joplin man sexually assaulted 11-year-old boy at LaQuinta Hotel on Range Line
4. Umbilical cord of fifth child of meth-addled Newton County couple tests positive, judge orders child's removal
5. Joplin R-8 Board officially accepts resignation of McKinley Elementary principal, hires Barbara Cox
6. Arraignment set for former Jasper fireman's wife charged with felony tampering with witness in child molestation case
7. Former Jasper fireman's wife charged with felony tampering with a witness in child molestation case
8. Joplin CVB Board ignores guidelines, recommends grant money for Connect2Culture, Wildcat Glades
9. Joplin R-8 Board holds special closed session for personnel reasons
10. Auditor refers Woolston's actions to feds, Jasper County prosecutor
Inside Joplin
1. Joplin Police on missing persons case: We are concerned for the safety of Sarah Burton
2. Reward offered: Have you seen Waffle?
3. Empire District Electric customers to see rate reduction due to Public Service Commission order
4. Joplin News First offers video coverage of JPD swat operation at 2700 block of S. Minnesota
5. Stella teen, Monett couple injured in collision on 60
6. Jasper County Marriage Licenses
7. Carl Junction High School teacher Tobin Schultz finalist for Missouri Teacher of the Year Award
8. Off-duty JPD officer's recognition of suspects leads to four arrests, seizure of heroin, meth, weapon
9. Joplin Police Department Arrests August 14-15
10. Joplin man injured in three-vehicle crash at 34th and Main, dies at KU Medical Center
Inside Joplin Obituaries
1. Phyllis Doyle
2. Balin Joy
3. Jacob Ellis
4. Youa Moua
5. David Moran
6. Glen Andrews
7. Terri Macias
8, Julie Arnold
9. Victor Sinclair
10. Jake Marbough
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Stories of Newton County the way it used to be- My new book Newton County Memories is available locally at Granby Auto Supply and Hardware, Changing Hands Book Shoppe and Always Buying Books in Joplin and Pat's Books in Carthage, as well from Amazon in both paperback and e-book formats at the links below.
10 comments:
I think the Joplin Glub stands strong for 'Murrican freedum.
The Glub apparently decided to run Geoff Caldwell's latest droppings as their contribution to the discussion.
http://www.joplinglobe.com/opinion/columns/geoff-caldwell-press-isn-t-the-enemy-but-isn-t/article_a2b17738-4b1b-57db-9ed1-96240568f60f.html
What's not to like about this?
"It’s the same New York Times that had to explain why it requested email records from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s wife as town manager of Chevy Chase, Maryland — a request that the Times ultimately admitted: “Our request yielded 85 pages of emails, none of which provided any substantive insights,” and “in other words, it was hardly front-page news.”"
Let's see:
1. His wife was a public official and the newspaper requested public records from her public employer.
2. Requesting and reviewing public records indicates a newspaper making an effort to do their job, who knows what is there until someone takes a look.
Who but a RWNJ would criticize this effort? Well Maybe Hervey would...
Sharing for the reading impaired.
http://www.joplinglobe.com/opinion/editorials/our-view-reckless-rhetoric-versus-fundamental-freedom/article_0749685a-1794-5a86-aa0c-0c4d7664afb6.html
And you wonder why newspapers are dying. Most everyone likes newspapers, they say they like to hold them in their hands and read. So, why are they falling out of favor? The greatest example of failure I have seen is this "collusion" act that 300 plus papers performed in. Read the statistics about the fair coverage of newspapers. There is nothing balanced in politics or in public debates such as global warming, race relations, abortions, religion, economics and just about everything else.
From what I understand, this coordinated effort taken recently by "the press" had no affect. Newspapers should take note and take action, if they dare.
I believe in freedom of the press BUT not freedom to alter the story and add personal opinions on your news story. Report fact, not your political view. Keep opinions in the editorial section. Those of us who watch different tv stations find out that many stations distort the facts & insert what "they think & like". No wonder Trump calls them fake news. And when good things happen & it is a plus for Trump, CNN & others don't report on it. People are finally waking up. The reason so many politicians hate Trump is that he ended their gravy train. He upset their Apple cart. They had a good thing going...living off us tax payers...start tuning into some other channels & you will see what corruption is all about.
This article is a perfect example why people don’t always trust the press. It is obviously biased. The part NOT reported on was the fact many newspapers felt this was just playing into Trumps hand and didn’t participate. Then guess what happened? Sure enough, Trump is tweeting about the media picking on him over the editorials.
I don’t like Trump, I think he’s dangerous. I also think he’s going to be re-elected if the press doesn’t change the way they cover him. Coverage is obviously biased, feeding right into is blind followers paranoia.
Watching from afar as someone who considers himself to be politically neutral, (or as close as one can be) I reluctantly have to agree with the President....to a point. While Trump uses the phrase "fake news" entirely too often, the claim does appear to have merit. I may be showing my age here but growing up in the 70s we had what I would call newsmen. We could only get three channels on the antenna and it appeared the networks, for the most part, reported the news the same way. Fast forward to the modern age where we hunger for the equivelent of fast food news, social media news sources, cable news, etc. Now news is less about reporting the facts and more about the bottom line and sensational headlines to suck the reader in. Fox news has been at it for awhile and now CNN appears to be the liberal equivelant. It's sad really because this generation doesn't know where to go for real news or they are too lazy to do the research to determine what a legitimate news source is...and who can blame them? Its exhausting!
Anonymous ( Coward)’7:57
I have no objection to their request; they’ve been Give thousands of pages— slow readers
All of Randy’s favorite newspapers are losing circulation every day and heading for the bankruptcy court. Maybe he can give them a job?
Harvey Hutchinson 303-522-6622 voice&text
You are not a member of the press. You got kicked out of it a long time ago when they got tired of your crap.
Nor is President Trump violating the First Amendment rights of a corrupt lying media of which you are not a member of anyway. In any case, we are on Trump's side and Trump is doing what we want him to do in draining the swamp, and none of us care that Trump is not no Boy Scout.
If the Joplin Globe has enough sense not to fight with a popular President who won by 20 percent or annoy its remaining readership then that is fine by me.
There are plenty of fake news outlets on cable TV. Since they have gotten so deranged over Trump I no longer even bother to listen to them.
Look. Keep your heavily moderated blog running, go ahead and publish your slanted opinions, and by all means inform those of us who don't like you much when the local authorities waste taxpayer money. We don't expect much better from you anyways. Putting up with your smarm and sleeze while not liking it much is the price I must pay for keeping informed on both sides of the issues.
9:24
Please enlighten us just exactly what drainage of the swamp has been done. Examples please.
"Trump is not no Boy Scout." GOT DANG GOT THAT RIGHT!!! Ol' Trumpy done learned 'em that it don't take no brains to run stuff. Just make crap up as you go along. Them danged reporters that keep a printin' what he says and tries to hold him to what he says are ruskies! Ignurnt reporters keep a makin' stuff up. That good guy Manafort shouldn't have to worry bout no jail time! He ain't kilt nobody. Fake news! So what if'n he lied a little bit about havin' money and lying to the banks for millions in loans? Just a good ol' boy tryin' to get ahead. So what if'n Trumpy drained the swamp into his cabinet? He said he could make money as president and by GAWD hes a doin' it right along with the rest of 'em. Course a few of em are findin' prison time, but that's all cause of this witch hunt! If it weren't for that then they would all be free to make all the money they could. Gawt Dang! Ain't Murica Great Again!?!?
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