After reading the editorial “Where the press is free and every man able to read, all is safe” I came to the conclusion that the author explained exactly why the fake news narrative gained traction. The author quotes Thomas Jefferson’s statements about freedom of the press. I highly doubt that Jefferson envisioned a free press devoid of responsibility. A free press needs to be responsible and accurate, things that are often missing these days. A responsible and accurate free press will ensure their facts are correct (multiple sources) and portray the entire set of facts surrounding a story.

There are a number of examples of “journalists” reporting without getting all of the facts (or possibly ignoring facts that don’t fit the narrative); the Nick Sandmann case is a glaring example of this. CNN, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, ABC, NBC and the Washington Post all reported a grossly distorted version of the story. There are many other examples that any true journalist could find. There was a time when journalists involved in misrepresentations of the truth would have faced serious consequences for their actions, unfortunately those days are gone.

With this type of irresponsible free press is it any wonder that people come to the conclusion that there is fake news and that the “main stream media” cannot be trusted to report accurately and fairly? This type of “journalism” provides fertile ground for conspiracy theories to flourish. There is great power placed in the hands of the press and with that power comes great responsibility to wield that power in a manner that generates confidence. If the free press acted responsibly in reporting there would be little support for the fake news narrative that the author laments.

While an argument can be made that blurring the lines between editorializing and reporting is not irresponsible, it certainly brings into question the validity of the reporting. Reporting is supposed to be an unbiased reporting of “just the facts, ma’am”. When an article not on the opinion/editorial page casts aspersions (or personal compliments) on individuals or organizations it is no longer reporting just facts and begins to cross the line from journalism into opinion. When that happens, the factual nature of the entire article becomes suspect. The only major media outlet that still adheres to the old journalistic ideals of verifying sources (none of this “anonymous sources” stuff), presenting unbiased facts and having a clear distinction between reporting and opinion is the Wall Street Journal.

The author believes that the free press is being lost along with the respect that it deserves. Respect is not deserved, it is earned. Perhaps the media needs to look in the mirror to understand why it has lost trust and respect.

William Potocki

New Iberia