Freedom of the Press Belongs to Everyone.
It is not the Publisher’s Freedom to Print. It is the Citizens’ Right to Know.
— Arthur Hays Sulzburger – Publisher New York Times 1935 – 1961
Journalism was once a highly respected profession and the news media considered integral to democracy. Today, few trust them or believe anything they say.
Greg Borowski, Executive Editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, closed out 2023 by showering accolades on his paper and their 10 sister news organizations in Wisconsin with a multi-page Impact Report intended to convince readers they are “looking out for our community”. It was filled with examples of how they believe they are spurring positive change in Wisconsin and across the country.
The real impact these journalists and many in the mainstream media are having, in newspapers and on broadcasts throughout the nation, eclipses anything written about in the Impact Report and has become the greatest threat to our freedom.
Our founders understood that a free press was an essential protection against government for securing individual rights. The press was to be a trustworthy provider of accurate, unbiased information and exert influence through thoughtful opinions about important issues of the day. Today’s news media have abandoned their role as watchdogs of the truth and use their voice to advance their preferred political agendas. News content is indistinguishable from editorial content.
The dishonesty of the media is glaring. They are masterful liars and avid participants in efforts to destroy people considered political opponents. They selectively cover newsworthy events. They edit out segments of direct quotes to substantially change the intent and meaning of the speaker. They use anonymous sources or “experts” they refuse to identify to advance a position they align with politically. When individuals misspeak and then correct themselves, the media continuously repeat the mistake with no mention of the speaker’s correction. “Interviews” are debates with those they want to bring down while a forum for unchallenged propaganda is provided to those in their political orbit. These examples barely scratch the surface of the shameless disregard for journalistic ethics.
I choose to read and watch “news” from across the media spectrum. This is a subject of spirited debate within my circle of family and friends. Many feel it is a waste of time. I find it useful to compare what is being said by members of the media to each other and to the primary source in search of the truth. I believe in the wisdom of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.
We can expect this high stakes election year to escalate the corrupt strategies of both political parties and the unethical behavior of the media. Most of the mainstream media will line up with the Democrats to try to get Joe Biden reelected. They have backed themselves into a corner. Biden is feeble and demented and emphatic he won’t step down. They have no pandemic to keep him out of public view. His decline is obvious and their efforts to prop him up will have no limits. Harris is an incompetent the American people would not elect to the presidency if they managed to move Biden aside. Biden’s policies have harmed the American people personally. All of the extreme attempts to destroy Donald Trump, the presumed Republican nominee, have only strengthened his position.
The Biden campaign and Democrats ignore the rising anger of the voters. They show their contempt for us by trying to convince us we are not really experiencing the life we are living. “Bidenomics” has fallen flat. We know the border is a sieve and people and drugs are pouring into the country illegally. We know we are paying a great deal more for our food, gas, and other necessities than when Trump was President. We know the world is volatile and we are endangered by our weakness.
Democrats have decided to make a desperate strategic shift. We got our first taste in Biden speeches last week. They are going to try to convince us that white supremacy is a great threat to America and Donald Trump, if elected again, will be the next Adolf Hitler. Their pitch is “Democracy is on the line,” a cynical choice given we have never experienced government mandates and infringements on our freedoms like we have under Biden. These attempts at distraction will be heavily supported by the dishonest media.
Our engagement and focus will be critical throughout this election year to ensure Wisconsin’s elections reflect the will of the people. We will have to work hard to access the truth because the media won’t do its job. The verifiability of our Wisconsin election results will be crucial. Millions of ineligible voters must be purged from our voter rolls. Do your part by demanding your state legislators get this done (See the reporting in On Wisconsin Outdoors). Any opportunity to cheat will be seized by those who will stop at nothing in pursuit of power and control.
We are in a battle for our freedom. Through years of living the good life of free people, we took our eye off the ball. We allowed those who intend to fundamentally change our country to gain a stronghold. Those of us who are clear-eyed about the essentials of living free must now reclaim our nation from those who want to control how we live. In November, we will evaluate our options and make the choices we believe will best begin reversing the destructive course we are on. To keep our friends close and our enemies closer, we must know who our enemies are. The mainstream American media have become enemies of freedom.
Dear Readers,
This election year may be the most consequential of our lifetime. Dick Ellis, the Publisher of On Wisconsin Outdoors (OWO), a bi-monthly publication available free at retailers throughout Wisconsin and online at onwisconsinoutdoors.com, loves freedom. He is committed to following the truth wherever it leads and exposing corruption wherever he finds it. There is nothing more important to preserving our freedom than election integrity and OWO will be on it all year. We have less than a year to insist we have verifiable elections in Wisconsin and every voice is needed. Follow the reporting on the editorial pages of OWO every issue throughout this election year. You will be armed with the truth and suggestions for citizen action in your local community and at the state level. Let freedom ring!
