No Enemy of People Here

By Mick Holien

I have written a couple of stories since I wrote about Friday’s attack on a newspaper office in Maryland.

There were a couple of reasons that now deserve explanation because after all what is an opinion if you don’t tell anyone what it is.

And while my initial feelings about the horrendous loss of life left me about speechless, I needed more information before I was able to manifest my feelings more objectively.

Something that will never change, however, is my feelings about those folks who tireless publish a daily or in some cases a publication six days a week.

It should come as no surprise that there was a paper printed the next day. No sraff that I have ever been on or written for would have anything but a newspaper distributed the next day.

The most recent example in Missoula is the two special Missoulian sections we wrote and hawked on downtown streets after the 9-1-1 terrorist attack.

We’re fortunate here in the Mission Valley with the presence of three newspapers and a radio station that actually makes rounds and covers the area’s happenings.

Believe me none of these entities is overstaffed and at time I am amazed at the amount of coverage they provide a declining circulation and listener base.

As for television, we are in a flyover scenario whereby the affiliates wander in and wander out for an important story but require being told about it.

Unanswered to this point in Maryland is whether the assailant brought his violence to the doors ofsa newspaper because of the influence of hatred spewed toward Media or he targeted individuals he held a grudge against.

Community journalism in most cases is a training ground for future award winning performers. While they don’t deserve the ire but most will continue to put their head down and do their job.

There has never been in my lifetime this alternate fact thing and the requirement that everything that is said has to be fact checked.

There has always been criticism, and at time warranted, but at no time should the media be described as an ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.

Such dialogue and increased polarization solves nothing and produces but disdain and mistrust.

Just sayin.

 

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