Got your attention? It has been the mantra of the news media since day one that if a dog bites a man, it’s not news. But if a man bites a dog, well, that’s news!

     In the great days of newspapers, there was a true effort to get it right. Be accurate in order to maintain the newspaper’s credibility. In most cases, reports were factual and a lot less political. Sure, you could tell which direction the paper was leaning but what was most important was to address an issue and work toward a solution that was most beneficial. There were always different opinions but there was far more cooperation for the common good.

     The advent of 24 hour news stations caused major changes in how people got their news. Unless there is something major going on, there is not enough news to fill 24 hours. Competition between networks led to more of a P.T. Barnum / tabloid approach of sensationalizing the news. Stations produced more talk shows and talk shows thrive on controversy, opinion and confrontation with the hosts stoking the fires of contention, ignoring truth and bending facts to meet their political agendas.

     Who can you trust these days for the Truth? Lying has become commonplace, accountability and integrity have fallen by the wayside. Divisiveness has hit an all time high and and respect for people’s right to have a different point of view is at an all time low. 

     Talk is cheap and listening to each other is cheaper.