As a former television reporter, I entered the business not because I wanted to convince people of my point of view, but because I wanted to present an even-keeled well-balanced story that would challenge people to think about the pro’s and con’s, the good and the bad, and allow them to make up their own minds. It wasn’t my job to make it up for them.

As I discuss a few paragraphs down, it was probably fortunate for me I didn’t study journalism in college. After graduating from UCLA with a Political Science degree, I set out to become the great American truth teller, no preconceived biases about who’s good or bad. I didn’t identify with a political party. Present your case and let the viewers decide. In the 8 years I spent in the news business, I had mostly old-school, by-the-book editors and bosses. Once you get assigned a story, make sure you include both sides and only use named sources. That in a nutshell, was two things that made journalism, journalism.

Fast forward to today. CNN stopped broadcasting from Russia when President Putin threatened jail for anyone who intentionally spreads lies. This is probably as close as we’ll get to CNN admitting that they are fake news. CNN, the New York Times and most mainstream media outlets make no pretense about being fair and impartial. The corporate media makes no attempt to upset the progressive narrative, rarely ever asking the most obvious questions. Most are fearful that if they show any signs of fairness their core audience will basically cancel them, not watch…it’s gotten that bad.

Nearly all practice “advocacy journalism”. It’s basically news minus the objectivity. The line between news and advocacy has disappeared. But the term has now a much more sinister meaning. Media outlets will commonly run segments that are basically sponsored by companies or organizations who want to promote their own interests. We often saw Pfizer sponsor a segment (CNN, MSNBC, ABC News) about the efficacy of the Covid vaccinations. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was named the CNNMoney Man of the Year. There is next to zero coverage on these same networks running news segments on the potential side effects (myocarditis). They are basically advocates for the drug companies, not their viewers. The stories on the less-than-stellar track record of the vaxxes just started surfacing in the last month, with the threat of contracting the virus winding down. Thanks to companies like Pfizer, and $1 billion from the federal government, coverage was nearly universally favorable when it came to the stations largest sponsors, in spite of ever growing evidence that the vaccines did not work anywhere near what they were touted to.

Next, this new age journalist is being groomed early on, in the form of large “strategic investments” to journalism schools from well heeled non-governmental organizations (NGO) with the string attached that the money only flows if they emphasize advocacy journalism. Most often with the cash, comes an agenda. The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is a generous donor to J-schools if they depart from “classic journalism” and move to more advocacy journalism, where they promote a narrative or agenda supported by the NGO.

Besides the gaudy contributions to journalism programs, Gates has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to MSM outlets, to basically ensure him positive press for his many endeavours and past foibles (Epstein, anyone?).

According to Mint Press, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) has made over $300 million worth of donations to fund media projects. Recipients of this cash include many of America’s most important news outlets, including CNN, NBC, NPR, PBS and The Atlantic. Two New York Times columnists had been writing glowingly about the Gates Foundation for years without disclosing that they also work for a group — the Solutions Journalism Network — that has received over $7 million from the tech billionaire’s charity.

A growing number of disgruntled journalists have left their MSM job and struck out on their own. Sharyl Attkisson was a one time star at CBS News, that is until she insisted on running stories that didn’t fit the progressive left’s narrative. She left to form her own media company, but not before suffering the indignity of having all of her computers spied on by the news network. Alex Berenson and Bari Weiss left the hallowed cubicles of the NY Times, after they went off the reservation. They have both done yeoman’s work on the often times false narrative being pushed by the drug companies and their pals in the media. And the best known of them all, Glenn Greenwald left the Intercept in a huff when they wouldn’t run the sordid story of Hunter Biden’s laptop. He is now commanding a much wider audience and a much larger income now he is independent.

The one thing in common, is all of the aforementioned renegades run with well-sourced, factually based stories that pass the smell test when it comes to potential conflicts of interest. They are the few, the brave new breed that will serve as an example for future, budding journalists. As for now, be careful what you read, hear or watch. You are on your own.

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