by Curt Kovener
Last Thursday editorial boards at newspapers across the U.S., prompted by the Boston Globe, were asked write to confront President Donald Trump for going on about “fake news” and calling the media the “enemy of the American people.”
Editorial boards are what much, much larger newspapers have. Here at the Times, like everything else, it’s up to me. I head up the editorial, circulation, ad sales, distribution & delivery departments as well as handle complaints and fix the toilet when necessary. And because of that, like many other weekly newspapers, we’re a week late joining in with our colleagues.
“Fake news,” so abstract and generally fake in and of itself, is such a convenient term for those who read news they disagree with so they call it “fake”. Take for instance the four photos on last week’s front page for those who were booked into jail and charged with possession or dealing methamphetamine. Go ahead. Ask them. They will tell you it was all made up; “fake news”.
We also publish the fake news of two county jails and fake news from two courthouses so maybe your neighbors filed for divorce and maybe they didn’t. Maybe your father sold some land, maybe he didn’t. And those obituaries we are sent by area funeral homes, maybe those folks really are still with us. But knowing the funeral directors’ personally and professionally, more than likely they are not.
“Enemy of the American people” is irresponsibly easy, because it works to whip up a bunch of like-minded yet simple-minded of our population.
Let’s see…I coached little league baseball back in the day, was on the volunteer fire department for 16 years, was an organizer of the local flag-waving Red, White & Blue Festival for a like number of years, and for going on 40 years now reported on town, school, township and county officials whose rulings impact you.
Yep…I’m an “enemy of the American people” right here in South Central Indiana
Matter of fact, I’m such an enemy of the people is why so many of you readers took advantage of last month’s County Fair subscription special where if you bought a two-year subscription, you got a third year free.
You sure showed me, readers…and please, please, keep it up.
And what really fits my cottage newspaper industry in Jackson and Scott Counties is being called a Media Elite.
Mr. President, I’m a one-man newspaper office in a one-stoplight town. I purposefully drive a 15-year-old mini SUV because 1) I fit in it, 2) it gets 27 mpg, and 3) it has 4-wheel drive—something important for where I travel and where I live out in the woods.
So when the President’s disciples who drive new pickups, HumVees and large SUVs call me elite, I don’t just chuckle…I guffaw. And it really is a side-splitter when elected officials who finance their own multi-million campaigns call me a media elitist.
Media Elite? Enemy of the American People?
Really, Mr. President? All we do is inform the people.