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The News Media's job is to report the news. That's it. Period. The end. They are not soothsayers, psychics, social workers or pastors. They are people who report what happened in the world.

When the Media goes beyond reporting the news then they are creating the news. It becomes more and more about the Media and less and less about the story itself.

Back in the days when News Media meant honest reporting there were true giants in the TV studios and in the newspapers. There were names like Ernie Pyle, Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow. They focused on what was happening instead of it being all about them and their analysis of the news'. Compared to those giants the News Industry of today is a sick, sad joke. Now it's all about ratings and popularity and bigger, better, impressive stuff. They seem to feel they have to digest and analyze things for their audience as if the audience had the IQ of a gnat. Then again,if we are actually paying attention to them, their gnat assessment may be correct.

It isn't just the big name news programs that are more about themselves than the actual event they are covering. Even the local media has become infected.

One of our local stations used to run promos telling their viewers that they were supplying the news,we needed to know'. The reality was they were supplying the same news as the other stations in the area and none of it was anything people needed to know for a week or so, if then.

Another station was running a promo showing a reporter with a sincere, determined, don't mess with me' look on her face. The accompanying message is that they were looking into wrong doings and coming up with the solutions for the poor, picked on members of the community.

Any one who has a serious problem and takes it to a television station instead of the police or a doctor or some other trained professional needs to be taken immediately to a mental health facility.

"You look terrible. What's going on?"

"My husband keeps beating me up."

"Oh, don't worry. I know a television station that can help you."

Even newspapers are getting into the action now. Their front pages are filled with what if' articles instead of news.

"What if we have a drought? Are our community leaders prepared to handle it?"

This story will be followed in a few months by

"What if we get too much rain and the streams overflow their banks? Are our community leaders prepared to handle it?"

Here's a what if' for them to consider. What if' they reported the news and put what if' stories in fantasy magazines?

Speaking of fantasy, what if the Media quit trying to make the news and started to actually report it? What if people actually respected them again? Well, I said it was a fantasy.

Learn more about this author, Bill Woffington.
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