An enemy of the people

by Mary Glindinning

The once and future president declares that journalists are enemies of the people.

How do you defend against that? Especially when for 40 years, a steady drumbeat said the mainstream media can’t be trusted. 

And it worked. 

The national newspaper industry is a shadow of its former self. Maybe with innovation and progress that would have happened anyway.

But trust in the media is at an all-time low. That is part of how we got here. 

It is very easy to be spoon-fed opinions on Facebook, where anyone with a keyboard and internet connection can say anything, any time with no points for accuracy. 

It is also easy never to challenge what you hear, or just listen to people in your own echo chamber. 

It is harder to listen to reporters who tell you the truth, even if it’s not what you want to hear. 

It takes work to be a citizen, to forage for news, compare sources and determine for yourself what is true. 

That is what the founders envisioned, and a robust, free media is necessary for democracy to survive. 

They also knew that informed voters are essential to democracy. 

For all the people who say this is the greatest country on earth, doesn’t that mean it’s worth a little of your time to keep it strong by being informed? 

Where you get your information matters. 

They taught us in journalism school that readers do not want your opinion, they want facts. 

Authoritarians do not want facts reported: they want people to believe only what they tell them. Historically, it does not end well for the dictator or the people. 

I used to say my faith in democratic institutions was unwavering, and I believed it could withstand any threat. 

We are living through the most alarming threat I have seen, and it will take all of us to weather it.

I very grateful for all the local support from readers who understand that reporters try to inform in the most accurate, objective way we can. We make mistakes, as all humans do, but we correct them.

So I am hopeful, but still feeling a little wobbly right now.