If Google News were a person, I would take him or her out for a cup of tea and some cream crackers and suggest: “You’re losing your way, buddy.” The once-helpful news-provider behemoth has in recent weeks sunk to new lows of bias, and worsens mainstream-media credibility in ways unforeseen even a year ago.
In more than 25 years as a professional journalist, I have not seen such media-credibility-mauled times – the “I’m a journalist” answer to livelihood queries invariably these days causes some atmospheric chill in conversations with strangers. So I just say, “I do a bit of writing.”
With its latest version of Google News, the US$490 billion Google Inc seems keen to bring journalism into more disrepute, to maybe being on an occupational par with bandits and bank robbers.
The new Google News has more overtly unleashed a sinister agenda under watery claims of “bringing accuracy” in news. Its search algorithms give crude prominence to the anti-Donald Trump media, shutting out more objective voices and choices, as well as so-called right-wing outlets like Breitbart News.
“Right-wing”, “left-wing”, “loony-fringe”, “fake news”, “credible” or whatever divisive labels are stuck to current news-media machinery, the mostly forgotten key distinction is between “honest” and “dishonest” journalism.
And for its enthusiasm in further battering the media’s reputation, Google’s nemesis could be another multibillion-dollar penalty from US regulators – after European Union regulators slapped Google’s Alphabet with a $2.7 billion fine.
In the bygone days before the 2016 US presidential election, some semblance of objectivity was paraded out for readers. But after former standard-bearers of journalism like The New York Times and The Washington Post lost credibility by the suicidal blurring of news and opinion – in misreporting the presidential campaign and presidency of Donald Trump – Google News now fuels news distortion by becoming a more blatant platform for biased anti-Trump voices, such as the apparently demented CNN.
So instead of earlier choices of hundreds of stories on a news happening from Google News, I get CNN and New York Times versions of what is actually not happening – particularly with the tempestuous, epochal, revolutionary presidency of Donald John Trump. And no, I am not a “right- or left-wing” journalist, just another among perhaps millions hoping to see more objectivity and honesty in news coverage. So I switched to the less sinister but less limited Bing News choices.
Two employees, known colloquially as Googlers, ride colorful Google Bikes at the Googleplex, headquarters of Google Inc in the Silicon Valley town of Mountain View, California, on April 7, 2017. Google Inc and mainstream media are riding together down a suicidal road.
Not that the media always enjoyed universal respect and adulation, after the town news crier went organizational when German publisher Johann Carolus (1575-1634) launched the world’s first newspaper, Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien (Account of All Distinguished and Memorable News).
But credibility slurs hit crisis levels over the past year in the US, and the infection spreading worldwide, with media sections surrendering basic ethics of accurate reporting in their demonize-buffoonize Trump attack.
By not directly knowing public figures (we know how even the people we have “known” all our lives can surprise us), obviously impressions on political leaders etc are based on media inputs and maybe gut feeling. Inaccurate inputs lead to inaccurate perceptions, more so when media output is based more on poisonous cynicism, or worse, and less on healthy skepticism.
The continuing vicious, unbalanced news-media negativity against Trump’s presidency is a dangerous backlash of him being a unique phenomenon in history: defying all odds, defying pompous media punditry and becoming the first largely self-funded novice politician elected to the highest office in the United States, a rare volunteer head of state (President Trump donates his entire salary) in his first attempt to serve in public office. And even more uniquely, succeeding after waging a courageous battle against dishonest or biased powerful sections of the media.
Corrupt or weak politicians bribe or boot-lick the media – it’s part of their shameless survival kit. But it takes rare strength of mind, iron will and integrity of convictions to face such an unprecedented media onslaught as against Trump.
Corporate media houses backing the right anti-corruption side need media funding from non-corrupt sources. Investigating finances of some leading media professionals and news organizations in the US might throw up some interesting realities about the anti-Trump media hysteria.
The hate-Trump disease spreads worldwide. In August, the Mumbai-based Times of India even published a cartoon of President Trump wearing Nazi swastika labels. I have never come across a racist or fascist statement from Trump – it’s the deviant media that give his offbeat economy-healing policies this dangerous, inaccurate slant. And as fallout, the real racists and violent fascists run riot in the streets.
By accessing Trump’s communications from the original source – whether his highly effective Twitter account or from White House releases – I see the mangled, maybe deliberate news distortions, and the malignant misreporting, misinterpreting, misrepresenting what he said. Don’t blindly believe whatever is reported. Check the original source of news.
Nick Adams, “Retaking America” “Best things of this presidency aren’t reported about. Convinced this will be perhaps best presidency ever.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2017
Media sections often deride President Trump’s effective use of Twitter as his ‘rants’, forgetting that the real rants are the grossly biased, inaccurate anti-Trump news reporting disease.
Honest opinions can be wrong or unpopular, and I could be mistaken about Trump’s rare courage and sincerity to serve his country (I don’t think I am), but there is no mistaking the fact that ground reality and the mainstream media have suffered a divorce in their reporting on the Trump presidency. I see the “fake media” being an unprecedented propaganda machine in the dirty work of sabotaging a legally elected president in the world’s most powerful democracy.
People protest racism and hate in Chicago on August 27, 2017. Whether genuinely motivated, misinformed, gullible victims, or tools of corrupt forces, how many of the anti-Trump brigade bother to check if and when he actually made racist or hate statements – and how much he is misreported and misrepresented in the media?
If King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table were around these days, instead of hunting for the Holy Grail, Sir Galahad and Co might be spending mornings searching for free and fair media sources. Searchers share options, such as this list (the credible media choices here include Asia Times).
With deeply entrenched corrupt forces venomously trying to maintain the status quo – such as with the H-IB visa manipulation that the White House detailed on April 17 – the mainstream media prove the saying about birds of a feather flocking together.
Apart from honest criticism – crucial journalistic responsibility in a democracy – the vicious news-media campaign of falsehood, inaccurate reporting, and unbalanced, lopsided bias against Trump (for example, the ridiculous “Russia influencing elections” witch-hunt, while remarkably ignoring the laundry list of serious criminal and treasonous accusations against Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee) is proof that the 45th president of the United States is succeeding in doing the good he vowed to do for his country.
“To straighten the crooked,” an Enlightened Super-Scientist said 2,500 years ago, “you must first do a much harder thing: straighten yourself.”
And so self-correction is safer, necessary and overdue media medicine for more efficient, quality, credible news journalism that the world needs: For this, the hard work of practical training for the mind to be in tune with reality helps to go beyond apparent realities, and at least having good volition.
Whatever credibility crisis afflicts the town news crier, the truth ultimately prevails – whether certain dishonest media houses survive or not.
Raja: forget about what NYT and Wapo write about Trump, just look at the criticism leveled at him from right-wing sources from the National Review to David Frum, Mitt Romney, George Will, Charles Krauthammer and many, many others. There views track directly with what the NYT and Wapo are reporting.
An enterprising US citizen had compiled this list of President Trump’s "achievements" or his work; I found this in the comments section in an article on July 7, 2017, on how the media mysterious fails to highlight his positive work, as much as the negative side – real or fake. This list was too long to be carried in my article, so sharing this in multiple parts – this interesting footnote, as it is, starting Part-1:
" You read this remember Pres Trump is donating his paycheck. He gets nothing from us for all of this work.
ON TRADE
1) KILLED TPP
2) $350+ billion deal with Saudi Arabia ($110 billion in arms $250 billion in trade/investment) creating 100,000’s of jobs in both countries, historic.
3) Pulled out of PARIS ACCORD
4) Had a major victory on sugar exports from Mexico. Made Mexico drop the exports % and the amount of refined sugar. Will help our sugar industry and the US sugar mills that produce refined sugar from raw sugar.
5) Notified Congress of NAFTA renegotiation on May 18th. Talks can start 90 days later on Aug 16th, 2017
6) China Trade deal opening up beef and LNG gas as well as giving a way to get 1 billion Chinese credit scores so the USA can offer them credit. Trade deal was done in record time.
7) Sec Ross has slapped more than $2 billion in fines on China and Canada for illegal trade practices.
8) the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reached agreement with Chinese officials on final details of a protocol to allow the U.S. to begin the beef exports to China (6/12/17). The first beef has been imported to China (06/30/17 and Sec Predue cut and ate a USDA prime rib in China)
9) REOPENING KORUS trade deal per Sarah Sanders press briefing on 06/30/17)
On Economy
1) Unemployment rate 4.3% u-3 and 8.4% U6
2) Proposed a $1 Trillion infrastructure project
3) Stock Market at Historic Highs (as of 6/11/17 Dow up 16% NASDAQ up 19.5% since election day)
4) US homes prices climb at fastest pace In 3 years per CNBC.
5) Jobless claims hit 28 year low in Apr
6) OPEC broken can no longer set prices due to USA energy production unleashed
7) Secured $50 billion investment from Japan
8) Secured $20 billion investment from Exxon in Gulf coast
9) Gasoline at $1.95/gallon in Central NC (lowest price at this time of year since 2005 for entire US 06/30/17)
10) Repealed 14 Obama regulations via CRA saving $ billions in costs to the economy
11) Atlanta Fed sees 3.6% growth in 2nd qrt
12) Federal debt is 130,455,438,424.64 billion LOWER since Dec 30th 2016 (as of 06/24/17) per treasurydirect.gov
13) Federal surplus was $182 billion at end of Apr (unexpected)
14) Consumer and business confidence at record highs
15) North Dakota experiencing a boom since Dakota access pipeline finished (500,000 Barrels now flowing through pipeline per day)
16) Keystone pipeline construction ongoing
17) Mining, steel and oil/gas jobs booming
18) Mines reopening
19) 600,000+ JOBS created since Jan1st (per BLS) 800,000+ per ADP
20) Directed Dep’t of Commerce to streamline Federal permitting processes for domestic manufacturing
21) Launched United States-Canada Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau
22) Cut 1.6 billion costs from Air Force one and F-35 airplanes.
23) Regulatory freeze on all federal governmental agencies
24) Making agencies cut 2 regulations for each new one.
25) Saw the opening of the first NEW COAL MINE IN PA in YEARS creating 70 jobs at the mine and more than 400+ supporting jobs in the community. (06/10/17) Per foxnews.
26) Coal for Central Appalachian coal has increased 8.95% this year. Increasing the economy for SE OH, SW PA, VA, MD and WVA
27) Maine unemployment at 32 year low. The State dept of unemployment forced to layoff people because of lack of claims
28) Food Stamp spending is down almost $1 billion per month and $12 billion per year per USAD
29) Black unemployment at a 17 year low in May at 7.5% per Bureau of Labor Statistics. (06/24/17)
30) Coal mining rose 19% in USA for first 5 months per US energy Department
31) 1st qrt GDP revised up to 1.4%
32) USA now pumping 500k more barrels of oil per day since Dec 31st. Now at 9.3 million bpd. 3rd in the world only 1.2 million bdp behind Russia and Saudi Arabia
33) USA is the world leader in natural gas production
34) Institute for Supply Management says its manufacturing index rose to 57.8 last month from 54.9 in May. Anything above 50 signals that factory activity is increasing (07/03/17)
35) 15 of 18 manufacturing industries posted growth in JUNE per ISM (07/03/17)
36) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics for fiscal year (FY) 2017 show that food stamp enrollment decreased nationwide by 2.9 percent over the past year (07/05/17)
An enterprising US citizen had compiled this list of President Trump’s "achievements" or his work; I found this in the comments section in an article on July 7, 2017, on how the media mysterious fails to highlight his positive work, as much as the negative side – real or fake. This list was too long to be carried in my article, so sharing this in multiple parts – this interesting footnote, as it is,
Part-2 continued..
On Immigration
1) Authorized DHS to hire 10,000 ICE officers & 5,000 border patrol agents
2) Secured funding for more immigration judges for deportation cases in 2017 budget
3) Ended "catch and release” policy
4) ICE arrests up 40% as of May
5) ICE arrests are 75% criminal illegals as of May
6) Ice Arrests for non criminal illegals up 150% as of May due to sanctuary cities polices making Ice go to the home instead of the court houses
7) 70%+ decrease in border crossings of illegal aliens in JAN,FEB,MAR,APR) 64% down in MAY
8) No Cuban refugees seen by Coast Guard in Apr first time in 7 years
9) Open bidding and plans submitted for the WALL. Finalists selected, prototypes to be unveiled this summer per CBP official/Breitbart news.
10) 6ft chain linked fences being replaced by 20ft hardened steel fencing at border
11) More than 1400 gang members have been arrested by ICE
12) This year the U.S. has already deported 398 MS-13 gang members back to El Salvador – compared to only 534 for all of 2016
13) Texas has passed a law outlawing sanctuary cities
14) Foods stamp requests by ILLEGALS D O W N
15) The Trump administration has moved to reopen the cases of hundreds of illegal immigrants who had been given a reprieve from deportation by Obama
16) Per Sec Kelly Plans are to start building the WALL by end of summer.
17) Travel ban EO cut refugees to 50,000. Has been blocked by courts so far.
18) per Breitbart Sec Kelly has refused to expand H2-B visa program in FY 2017 Update 06/22/17 Sec Kelly will expand the H2-b visa program for a limited number of businesses that are in danger of failing and can’t find employment per breitbart.
19) Pres Trump Sec of DHS ended DAPA (06/16/17)
20) Refugees dropped by half entering the USA in first three months of Pres Trump’s admin over Obama’s admin. (6/24/17 per Washington Times)
21) Per Pres Trump 6,000 MS-13 gang members arrested in first 5 months
22) Per Sec Kelly 66,000 mostly criminal illegals arrested by ICE in first 5 months
23) Kate’s Law passed the House 06/29/17)
24) No Sanctuary Cities Law Passed the House (06/29/17)
25) Illegal immigrant arrests in San Diego, Ca have more than doubled from 2016 and 2015 figures per the San Diego Union Tribune (07/04/17)
26) In a reversal of Obama administration policy, federal prosecutors with Operation Streamline are filing criminal charges against migrants the first time they are caught crossing the border illegally. Per Tucson.com and breitbart (07/05/17)
27) Refugee Arrivals Plummet in Week After Supreme Court Ruling on Trump Executive Order per Breitbart and Department of State website (07/05/17)
ON LAW and ORDER
1) Authorities have arrested an unprecedented number of sexual predators involved in child sex trafficking rings in the United States and around the world
2) DOJ issues new sentencing guideline to enforce tougher laws on drug dealers
3) DOJ stops Obama’s slush funds
4) Massive raids on gangs going on across the nation
5) More arrests for voter fraud in 2017 then anytime in recent history.
6) DOJ and DHS ordered to take on transnational criminal gangs
7) No tolerance for violence against LEO with a signed EO
8) Fired FBI director who is and was a nutjob.
9) Nominated Wray for FBI director
10) Nominated 21 conservative judges to the federal court
11) AG Sessions dismantling the Obama legal doctrine brick by brick at the DOJ per Bloomberg (06/29/17)
12) Operation Broken Heart lead by the DOJ arrested over 1,012 sexual child predators across the nation bringing 69,000 cases against them. (06/28/17)
13) AG Sessions has asked for an extra $26 million to hire 300 prosecutors devoted to gang violence and deportation cases per Bloomberg (06/29/17)
14) DOJ drops case against the Washington Redskins (06/30/17) the era of Political correctness is over.
15) AG Sessions condemned murder of NYPD on (07/05/17) calling the attack cowardly.
ON Congressional and Executive action
1) Confirmed Gorsuch to SCOTUS
2) Signed 39+ Laws so far
3) Signed more than 30+ EO
4) Reviewing the Obama land grabs
5) Reviewing and repealing Obama’s regulations
6) Obamacare repeal and replace passed House stuck in Senate
An enterprising US citizen had compiled this list of President Trump’s "achievements" or his work; I found this in the comments section in an article on July 7, 2017, on how the media mysterious fails to highlight his positive work, as much as the negative side – real or fake. This list was too long to be carried in my article, so sharing this in multiple parts – this interesting footnote, as it is:
Part-4:
"On Foreign Policy
1) Secured a 34,000 Arab force to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria
2) Sent 3 carrier battle groups to NK to pressure them on nuclear program, installed THADD in SK and Japan
3) Working with China on NK
4) Sent Navy to south China Sea to secure sea lines
5) Fired 60 Tomahawks after a gas attack
6) Got the G7 countries to agree that a nation has a right to control migration and immigration
7) Had G7 countries agree NK was a threat
8) Had G7 nations agree that Trade should be FAIR as well as FREE and that nations can punish non fair trade
9) Had NATO agree to pay more and got more countries to pay their fair share of defense pact
10) Have met with more than 100 of the world leaders many at the white house
11) Pulled out of Paris Accord and freed the USA from the economic Slavery Obama sold us into
12) Have surrounded ISIS in Iraq and Syria strongholds
13) Have killed the ISIS commander in Afghanistan and reduced their strength by 2/3rd in Afghanistan
14) Dropped the MOAB on ISIS killing more than 90 ISIS fighters
15) First sitting POTUS to pray at the Western Wall
16) Restarted peace process between Israel and PLO
17) Visited the land of the three major religions in the world
18) Opening of center to defeat radical Islam in cyberspace during Saudi Arabia visit. One orb to find them in the darkness and bind them.
19) Gave powerful speech in the heart of Islam about the need to reform Islam and drive out the radicals
20) Had G7 countries agree that refugees should stay as close as possible to home country and be returned when the threat is gone
21) Got the Arab nations to cut ties to Qatar for funding terrorists. Massive historic shift in diplomatic actions in the Muslim world.
22) Started the assault on Raqqa in Syria to defeat ISIS on June 6th 2017.
23) Got Romania to up it’s NATO funding to 2.1% of GDP
24) Has the Special Forces helping relieve siege in Philippines.
25) visiting Poland (07/05/16)
26) Per Sec Tillerson. The PLO has stopped the payments to terrorists families. Major change in PLO policy.
27) Pres Trump’s State department secured the release of American citizen Otto Warmbeir from NK without paying $400 million ransom
28) Pres Trump admin secured the release of American citizen, Aya Hijazifor, from Egypt Jail without paying $400 million ransom.
29) Obama appointed Ambassador to Qatar “quit” during the biggest Crisis in Qatar’s history. What was she hiding?
30) Gave Sec Mattis authority to set troop numbers in Afghanistan to turn the tide of the war. 06/16/17 .
31) Rolled back Obama’s Cuban policy. 06/16/17
32) Canada promised to increase defense spending by 70% (06/16/17)
33) Gulf Countries sent Qatar a list of demands to defund terrorism, reject the Muslim brother hood so Qatar can return to the fold, direct consequence of Pres Trump’s trip to the middle east. Qatar has since rejected these demands setting a possible military conflict (updated 06/30/17)
34) NATO countries (excluding the US) increase defense spending by 4.3% from last year per daily mail and breitbart(06/30/17).
35) Per Iraq military Mosul has fallen. ISIS no longer controls the city. Just a couple pockets of resistance left per independent (06/30/17)
36) Imposed Sanctions on major China Bank for it’s funding of North Korea and has declared the admin will work to cut North Korea off from access to the US financial market. (06/29/17)
37) approved a $1.42billion arms deal with Taiwan (07/02/17)
38) Reached out by Twitter to offer help to save baby Charlie Gard (07/03/17)
39) The US ambassador to the UN threatens China and other countries who trade with North Korea with blockage from the USA market. (07/05/17)
40) Pres Trump increases the threat to use of trade access to the US market to stop North Korea setting up a potential for a trade war with China (07/05/17)"
As long as the criticism is honest and fair, no problems, Dave – whether the criticism is accurate or inaccurate.