Admittedly I'm a product (after 50 years in journalism) of the late Jurassic period when it comes to expectations for enterprise news gathering. Yeppers, guilty as charged.
One might say I subscribed to the philosophy of the late New York Times publisher Adolph Ochs, who insisted upon presenting the news impartially without regard for friendship or favor.
As a fledgling journalist in the early 1970s, I'd been taught just that: to fairly seek and present facts in my reporting, regardless of politics or influence in pursuit of truth's trail wherever it led. Imagine a beagle trailing a rabbit.
My fundamental understanding of reporting was that our First Amendment ensured we'd remain free to equally and assertively question everyone we elect to lead us. We were to be objective servants of truth in the public interest.
I never believed such freedoms were enacted so reporters could choose political sides to become partisan propagandists and apologists for only one party.
Yet it's both obvious and sad to recognize that's exactly what's unfolded over recent decades, most obviously where our current president is concerned.
Sadly enough, I see undeniable evidence of this bias every day on our televisions and in most major newspapers who comprise what's come to be called the mainstream print and electronic media.
Anyone honestly believe that news coverage where our president is concerned has been objective? Even close? The reality is there to see that he's been continually raked over the coals, particularly when compared to the relatively kind, even fawning, media treatment the Obama-Biden administration received (and still does).
Just read the word choices and placement of stories, or recognize the same kind of relentless prejudice on television news channels since the day he launched his presidential bid.
Despite the man's blunt, brash East Coast personality and incessant tweets, I'll never agree that any person--regardless of ideology--deserves the four years of unbalanced, often inaccurate, incomplete and hate-soaked hell he's faced from the national media.
Like us, our president certainly is a person with good and not-so-good qualities. Yet has anyone yet seen one positive story in the mainstream media focused on his truly unprecedented accomplishments over the past four years?
Instead, the ongoing "let's saddle up the posse and run down this president we don't like" approach is far removed from the spirit of our First Amendment's intent.
As every president deserves, he is to be fairly questioned about his decisions and actions. The operative word here is fairly as opposed to mean-spirited.
I wonder how I'd react after being publicly jabbed with razor-sharp word spears daily then watch my frustrated responses to such attacks repeatedly held up as supposedly representative of the person I am.
So what does the grossly lopsided approach to informing the public mean to all of us? I believe it's clearly designed to constantly promote the leftist view of politics by casting the president in the worst possible light.
Look, I understand the leftists in our country remain upset that he won the presidency over media darling Hillary. I also get just how desperately they want to impose radical policies and views on Americans. I understand they are opening their wallets wide and doing everything possible to prevent the president's re-election.
But I'll never agree that the media should weaponize its sacred First Amendment privilege and resort to herds of "anonymous sources" to hopefully fulfill purely political desires.
When forced to use a news source while heading investigative efforts at three of the nation's largest papers, I insisted upon at least two knowledgeable and reliable sources who were reputable. Yet whenever possible, I vastly preferred to discover corroborating documents rather than resorting to a source.
And I couldn't have cared less which political party an official embraced when we began examining the facts behind their actions.
I'm not arguing either for or against Donald Trump. And I'm by no means ignoring his own obvious human frailties and shortcomings.
As a Tyrannosaurus in this craft, I am instead expressing my profound disappointment at far too many reporting colleagues who continue to do the worst job I've seen over 50 years as a journalist at being even-handed and objective in their news coverage.
Far too many "professional journalists" obviously have come to view their role as radical partisan activists rather than objective news reporters. That should trouble all of us who crave real news reporting as the First Amendment intended--without friends to favor or axes to grind.
And I suspect I'm not alone in such feelings, considering anyone who hasn't been locked in a closet over the past four years sees the same undeniable media bias I do.
Sadly, there are legitimate reasons public regard for media has plummeted. Gallup backs me up by reporting that no more than 21 percent of Americans in 1972 expressed the greatest level of trust in media. Overall, 68 percent reported trusting the media.
However, poll results released last month show only 9 percent report a great deal of trust, 31 percent a fair amount, and 60 percent either not very much or no trust. Such statistics are a disheartening state of affairs my craft has created for itself.
I suspect many like myself need only notice the source and bylines on any news story nowadays to decide if the prejudicial approach and tone it will contain is worth reading.
It's too bad that so many in the mainstream apparently believe we (the reading and watching public) aren't aware of the word choices, story play and accusatory nuances in their stories. Well, trust me, we are.
And I fear the state of credible and objective journalism most Americans need and desire has been compromised at the top of most major news corporations to the point it will never return.
Your responsibility
On a somewhat related note, I suppose, the following bit of wisdom appeared on my social media account the other day.
"It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age to blame. You--and only you--are responsible for every decision and choice you make. Period."
In case you haven't noticed, that truth has fallen victim across society to so many who quickly fault others and well as any convenient excuse for their failures and shortcomings.
That tells me that, as children, they never had parents, teachers or role models to explain the value of taking personal responsibility.
Any excuse
Oh well, might as well toss another bona fide log of fact in today's fire: If one is truly serious about changing or improving their life, they will find a way to make it happen. If not, they will always find an excuse.
Now go out to the world and treat everyone you meet exactly how you'd like them to treat you.
Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist, was editor of three Arkansas dailies and headed the master's journalism program at Ohio State University. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.