"We’re Still Having Arguments Every Day About What A Fact Is"
And don't even get me started on "alternative facts"
I’d rather suffer through a lobotomy sans anesthetic than listen to anyone on Fox News Channel talking about ANYTHING. Yet there was Matthew McConaughey, a native of Uvalde, TX, talking about the Sturm und Drang that is cable news today.
That he did it on Fox News was sufficient to thoroughly unhinge many on the Far-Right, who felt moved to tell McConaughey on social media to “stay in his lane.” Of course, these were the same intellectual and moral munchkins who voted for the reality show host and failed businessman. Yes, Virginia, hypocrisy has been virtually copyrighted by the Far-Right.
With so many people more concerned about screaming their point of view at their adversaries than learning the truth (for the truth, after all, is fungible), we’re still arguing every day, as McConaughey says, over what a “fact” is.
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the definition of “fact,” here it is, courtesy of dictionary.com:
The definition of “fact” isn’t fungible. Nor is “truth.” It either exists in the realm of reality or it doesn’t. It’s true, or it isn’t. It exists or has happened, or not. Pretty straightforward stuff; there should be no argument about that.
And yet….
There are those on the Far-Right who insist that facts aren’t “facts” unless they dovetail with their agenda. Otherwise, they’re just Liberal talking points.
Silly me; I’d been raised to believe that facts were empirical- a proven, demonstrable reality. How could I have missed this key definition, one that fuels so many Fox News-addicted Americans?
That’s why we have an entire cable news network- Fox News Channel- devoted to creating and disseminating Right-wing propaganda. It’s become known as the “GOP News Network” for good reason- they’ve never encountered a Democrat they wouldn’t be willing to smear under the right circumstances. Which, truthfully, are ANY circumstances.
Fox News openly and shamelessly traffics in half-truths, lies, and Right-wing propaganda. Their talking heads- Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Jesse Watters, etc., are as attached to the truth as I am to my Nobel Peace Prize. They build ratings with lies, innuendos, Lib-bashing, and claims that they, in most cases, haven’t bothered to fact-check.
It sounds true; ergo, it must be true.
Others on the Far-right chime in and use their celebrity to advance the lies and propaganda. As a result, millions of Americans swallow what Fox News sells as Gospel truth and they refuse to get news and information anywhere else. This is where Trump voters come from.
I don’t care that Americans disagree on issues; that’s always been the case. American democracy is, by its very nature, messy and contentious. It would be worrisome if it were any other way.
What concerns me is that the Far-Right is addicted to a cable news channel that peddles lies, deceit, and Right-wing propaganda. News isn’t and should be “Left” or “Right.” It’s not “Red” or “Blue.” Reporting on events may, in some cases, be open to ideological interpretation and reporters have opinions like anyone else. That said, objective journalism isn’t that hard to achieve, and even talk shows need not be ideological focus groups. Instead, they should focus on issues without getting bogged down in ideology or personal politics.
(Any cable news channel that counts Pete Hegseth, Jesse Watters, Tucker Carlson, and Sean Hannity among their talking heads should automatically be considered suspect- for having exceedingly low standards if nothing else.)
The problem is that as long as Fox News is part of the cable news landscape, willful corporate disinformation will continue to be part of the journalistic environment. And that can only continue to degrade the quality of public discourse and, with it, our democracy.
Yes, I realize the legal and free speech arguments working against shutting down Fox News, but until it becomes part of our past, our future will continue to look precariously dim.
Once Ronald Reagan and his cronies killed off the Fairness Doctrine, the journalistic landscape was cleared for Conservatives with large sums of money to create their own ideological information space. Over time, we’ve seen the creation of not only Fox New Channel in 1996, but of other, even more virulently Far-Right media outlets (Newsmax, One America News, etc.). Many of these operations don’t bother to camouflage their ideological orientation and make little if any pretense of maintaining journalistic objectivity.
Though the mainstream media has always been controlled by Conservative White Males, the Fairness Doctrine at least reined in blatantly obvious attempts to advance an ideological agenda. With the barrier out of way for more than 25 years now, American journalism is now an ideological battleground.
Many Americans no longer watch the news for information on current events. They’re looking to have their prejudices validated. It’s a coast-to-coast case of confirmation bias.
Because, as any REAL American will tell you, their ignorance is every bit as valid as your knowledge.
And you wonder why I fear for our future??
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