Be Well
Bear with me, Readers. I am going “off topic” this week and instead of my usual one quote I will use several …
“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
– Thomas Jefferson
Most of us recall the incident a few weeks ago that left five journalists dead at the Capital Gazette in Maryland. While this article could address several options in relation to that tragic loss of life, I would like to focus on the chosen careers of those who were senselessly murdered.
The “press” – it has been with us since the beginning of our country (in fact the Capital Gazette traces its founding to 1727) and reporting over the years has met with every human emotion imaginable. Unfortunately, and thankfully not often, the result is a subject of accurate reporting who targets those who do the reporting. Am I referring to the shooter of those journalists, or maybe someone who just doesn’t like what is reported about them? Maybe both. This article is not intended to be political in any way.
Those of my generation grew up with newspapers, magazines, radio, and network television as our news resources and thankfully no 24-hour cable. My parents faithfully read their daily newspapers and watched either Walter Cronkite on CBS or Huntley/Brinkley on NBC. Being an only child until I was nearly a teenager, I often watched with them and listened to their discussions afterward. Those presenting the nightly news at that time were true journalists; those who investigated, researched, and verified their news reports, they were not “commentators” who constantly reiterated their own personal opinions and “suggestions” into their news reports.
On a personal level, I couldn’t care less about hearing the journalists’ opinions, I just want the facts. How about this “fake news” about which we constantly hear, ad nauseum? Sure it is out there, has been for centuries, and unfortunately it is in our faces more than ever. And if I am in line at the local grocery store I see it right in front of me in the tabloids. (Did you know that George Clooney is actually an android from another planet?! Gosh, who knew??)
“Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy.”
– Walter Cronkite
Seriously, the news is usually not good, not pretty. I remember well the nightly coverage of the Vietnam War, showing thousands of our American troops wounded and dead on the battlefields. What if we did not have war correspondent journalists covering it, risking their lives and showing us the truth? What if we did not have professional journalists and patriots uncovering the Pentagon Papers? Would Watergate have gone unnoticed if Woodward and Bernstein and the Washington Post had not uncovered the truth?
True journalists are not those who take any opportunity to draw attention to themselves, to spout off their own interpretation of local, national or world events to propagate ideological agendas. We, the public, have the task and the responsibility to watch, listen, read, research, and ask the questions which will enable us to discern the truth of the matters before us and make objective decisions on how we wish to use our votes and our lives to make our communities and our country better; less divisive and more civil and hospitable.
Do I consider myself to be a journalist? The answer is no. In my opinion a journalist is one who gathers news, researches the facts, and reports on those facts. While I enjoy writing, publishing a book and several periodical articles, my writing is for the most part specifically focused on health-related issues. As a local TV cable show host for 21 years I interviewed many local people regarding community events and issues including local and regional government, representatives of many non-profit organizations, and small business owners. In other words, just because someone names themselves a journalist does not make it true. Remember this when you have the opportunity to watch/listen/read opinions of those who call themselves journalists.
Our community is blessed to have several resources for local and statewide news coverage.
This newspaper, the Hamilton County Reporter, is a great example of what the First Amendment means to local news coverage. While I am not a reporter for this or any publication, the reporters who do publish content for this newspaper strive to get the facts straight, report the facts, and let you know what is truly going on in our communities in Hamilton County. I feel privileged to publish content in this newspaper.
“The freedom of the press should be inviolate.”
– John Quincy Adams
Next time – let’s look at real-life fitness goals and how we can personalize those to our benefit. In the meantime, stay hydrated in our mid-July heat!
Sharon McMahon, CNWC
The opinions expressed in this article are not intended to replace advice of your personal physician or licensed health professional. Please consult your physician for any issues you may have related to nutrition or fitness activity.