The point of having media is to be informed. It is so vital to a democracy that it is unofficially termed the "fourth estate" because of it's high priority along with the executive, legislative and judicial functions of our government. The function of journalism is to bring information to the public that both informs and explains rudimentary understandings. What we have lost here is the rudimentary explanations that give the information context. We hear many soundbites by those who push agendas of self interest but few simple explanations that define those parameters. Our media is failing us because of a recent statement by a prominent reporter who said, paraphrased; it is not my job to verify the truth of the news, but just to report it. This lackadaisical approach to journalism does all of us a disservice since the truth is held in such low esteem by many who manipulate it to forward their own agenda. Who is left to call out the propaganda that is spread out to the uninformed, who are hoping to learn from a trusted source? The media is and has lost the trust of the populace because it is well proven that journalists would rather be a part of a story that has sensationalism to it than do the hard work of disproving comments created solely for spreading confusion and out and out lies. Journalists have a duty to our democracy that is sacred and not for compromise or to be given over for personal benefit. If the media continues to sell itself to eager buyers of it's soul then the only victors will be those who would knock down democracy for the sake of their own agenda.
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