The past few years have shown the need for new laws in regard to all medias” news stories, The past few years, and especially this year, has shown the need for new laws, in regard to all medias” news stories, press releases, etc. These new laws must have harsh penalties and funds to investigate and bring to justice, any and all dishonest statements, claims and known attempts to circumvent these new laws. A time has passed when honesty, trust and honor were held without question, for the information that all citizens of this nation relied on from the major sources of their understanding about major events that effected all its citizens. Without this, the ever-widening crack of mistrust that has taken over this country will only worsen and take the quality of every citizen”s American dream down with it.
All through the history of this country, honest, truthful news was and is the core element in being a strong, united nation. Even the slightest doubt about the quality of our daily news cannot be tolerated. This issue is more important than what party is in leadership and power, whether its conservative or liberal, right or left wing. The more diverse the news industry is, the better it is. The news media giants own and control multiple papers, TV, radio stations, and is deeply imbedded in the new online world. This fact is proving to be one cause of the downgrading of the quality and truthfulness of our daily news.
We are living in a time in which change is desired and needed as to the quality of our government”s leadership, and this issue should and must have equal concern. The citizens of this nation are fed up with the downgrading of both areas. Within both areas of concern are talented, honorable, hard working fellow citizens who are very capable of bringing these changes back. But, owners, investors and profits have taken away the power to bring those qualities to the front lines. Our present government has seen it fit to bail out Wall Street and the banking industry, and for the sake of all its citizens, it should put forth guaranteed loans to buy out the news media owners, and place them all in the non-profit sector, whose boards of directors would be locally elected.
Advertising revenue could and should be priced at three levels, the cheapest for local ads, then statewide and nationwide ads. Without the taking of profits for both owners and investors, and the downsizing of salaries for those in management positions above those using their skills, training and education on a daily basis, along with the managing editor, and the elimination of taxation, a heavy transfusion of honesty and quality will make this an extremely important part of our citizens” daily lives, a true bargain and an asset to the nation as a whole.
James Hall grew up in Clearlake Oaks.
