Not Real News Roundup? – The Press Is Weak

Love to see the mainstream press establish a better reputation for asking questions.

I follow several newspapers on Twitter. Yesterday, a couple of them helped us out with this:

Nov 20, 2020 The News Tribune

Not real news roundup: Debunking theories on dead people voting, mob boss ballot fraud

“These stories were all shared widely on social media this week. That doesn’t make them true. Here are the facts.”

Across the nation, several newspapers have gone with this theme. View them here.

I would love to be able to go to the mainstream press and see newspeople asking questions and doing more in the way of investigative stories.

I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local newspaper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.

Elimination of reader comments (this is the trend in the Puget Sound area) also works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.

Newspeople have stopped asking questions.

Puget Sound area papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

Newspeople post whatever press release is handed off.

A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.

Reporting The News by Press Release

Senator Cantwell claims that local press is a policeman on the beat against misinformation

WA COVID – Press Release Style of News Reporting

Journalism Needs Our Support Now, More Than Ever

The Press Is Weak – Newspaper Revenue Down Compared To 20 Years Ago

Newspeople are cheerleaders for telling everybody to get out and vote

People could do a better job of voting if they were better informed.

Newspapers are suppressing online comment sections, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.

Got it.

The Press Is Weak

People go to alternative media because the family friendly, hometown pride-oriented local small town papers and TV news folks have moved away from asking questions.

Image above: 11/21/2020

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

Living on an Island near Puget Sound, there seems to be great concern for salmon, orca, eagles, recreational shellfish and clean water.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

Coupeville – just west of Captain Thomas Coupe Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

More here:

Not Climate Change

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Zero Questions/Zero Curiosity from Newspeople

Local press:

“For the past couple of years, the Whidbey News-Times paid the insurance for the Veterans Day Parade, about $200, because it was a small way of saying thank you to the men and women who sacrificed so that we may have our liberties, including our Freedom of Speech.”

Were US troops sent to Vietnam so that Americans could be free to send letters to the editor?

Is there any case in which the US Armed Forces have been sent to distant lands on a mission to protect freedom of speech?

Is protecting freedom of speech even part of training scenarios?

Military Town – Hometown Pride

The press release style of news reporting means that statements are prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest bust/federal grant money award, news conference, etc. Newspeople post these statements without asking any questions.

Cartels Respond to General Milley’s Big DOD Crackdown

Port Angeles CBP Staffing and Infrastructure

Cartel Moves Product Past General Milley, CBP & Into The Puget Sound Area – Newspeople Remain Silent

Spokane – Opioid Lawsuit Update

5:50

The web can be used to spread truth.

Misinformation has been around since before the internet.

We were told we needed to send troops to Vietnam to stay safe.

Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.