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Last week, I started reading an excellent book written by General Albert C. Wedemeyer that he titled, “Wedemeyer Reports!” General Wedemeyer wrote his book about the leadup to World War II, critical events during the war, and the aftermath of the war. Here is a quote from the book that I will use as the basis for the remainder of this post.
“Verbal and imagistic stimuli are today so pervasive and violent that the public opinion of the vast majority of people–not only in our own country but in all others–is conditioned or determined by propaganda, We live in an age of propaganda.”
General Wedemeyer wrote this in 1958, now more than 60 years ago. He also wrote that our allies, for example, the British, used clever propaganda and pro-British Americans to prompt or encourage the entry of the United States into the war against the Axis Powers.
I believe we continue to live in an age of propaganda that has been dramatically escalated by a mostly monolithic print and television media. President Trump, I think, was the first to call this monolithic mainstream media, fake news. I believe he is more right than wrong, given the results we see on the nightly news and in the headlines we read in our major newspapers.
In my opinion, a free press should educate and inform by objectively reporting the news. A free press should also refrain from using hyperbolic and inflammatory language in its reporting. Our free press should use its opinion and editorial pages to persuade or convince readers regarding a particular subject or issue. The op/ed pages are the appropriate venue for hosting a national discussion of sorts about public policy ideas and other matters of national interest.
An informed citizenry is necessary for the conduct of good government. Effective and ethical governance requires a free press that is balanced, objective, and committed to the highest standards of reporting the news. If the free press becomes corrupt or untrustworthy, it then adds no value to a vibrant political discourse.