Silence is a powerful tool

Can you imagine having the goal of merely reporting what happens in the world. "I want to be a journalist so I can research an event and accurately report exactly what happened." Right. When blood was spilled to gain among other rights the Freedom of the Press, the goal surely was not just having the right to "report what happens". Was it not the right to use the press to shape public opinion; whether it be to fight against tyranny or make the world a better place. Indeed, the pen is mightier than the sword and all journalists believe that. Why then do they resist admitting that they go beyond merely reporting the news, and try to influence how people think. It is not wrong to want to use the tools at your disposal to have an affect on the world around us so why do they try to mask it? Either they believe their influence is more effective if people think they are objective, or they want to cause harm rather than good.

One of the most powerful tools at the disposal of the media is silence. Sure they can skew a story with words, but what if some events are reported on while others are withheld? When a leader shows some backbone and makes a resolute decision opinion can certainly be shaped if negative results are reported while positive results are filtered out. People make decisions by weighing facts. If only part of the facts are given, decision making is severely hampered.

It is one thing to report an event with an opinion. It is hard to believe a writer can separate his writing from his belief system. It is wrong to withhold information. When a news source consistently withholds information, it is time to reject that news source. Why would we knowingly fill our heads with tripe?