Remember the days when the word “journalism” meant honesty, truth, and integrity? Neither do I. Calling out the media on its faults is unoriginal and beyond cliche, but I think it’s necessary in the current world we live in. No longer are the days of Walter Cronkite delivering the facts over the airwaves and piercing our skulls. Today’s media culture is little more than clickbait, advertising revenue, and fear-mongering.

I’ve been alive for seventeen years, and my earliest memory regarding the news was the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. I was five years old, and I vividly remember sitting in front of the TV with my family, watching airstrike after airstrike hit Baghdad in the name of freedom and democracy. Since then, whether good news or bad news, I always try and take a little time out of the day to catch up on what’s going on around me. For the past several years, I wake up in the morning, grab some cereal and toast, and watch the local news in a zombie-like state. To put it simply, it’s important for me to see what’s happening. Unfortunately, seeing what’s happening in a truthful manner has become a thing of the past.

News nowadays is based largely on the opinions of those in power, not the facts. As a writer who likes to write about controversial topics, I understand how hard it can be to keep personal bias out of my work. When you’re passionate about something, it’s difficult to provide a concise answer that’s neutral. But, as a journalist, it’s necessary and it’s my responsibility. When your own opinion outweighs the story itself in an article, it’s no longer news; it’s a glorified blog post. Too many “journalists” and “anchors” are focused on giving their own opinion concerning the story instead of telling the complete story itself. It’s wrong, and it goes against journalistic ethics. Let me give an example: Fox News.

Ripping on Fox News is like stealing candy from a baby; it has become all too easy. I’ve got to admit it, I can’t stand Fox News. As much disdain I have for other networks like MSNBC and CNN, my contempt for Fox is indescribable. To me, Fox News is nothing more than a soapbox for talking heads who let reactionary opinions totally overshadow the facts at hand. Here’s a recent case: On September 9th, Fox correspondent Kristin Fisher reported a new video of Muslim refugees from Syria chanting ‘Allahu Akbar” (“God is Great” in English) on a French train under the headline “Terrorists Inbound? Taking Refugees Could Open Doors to Jihadists”. Mrs. Fisher does make it clear that the men aboard the train, “are not necessarily terrorists or a part of a terror group, but it highlights how many of these refugees are Muslim.” HBO’s John Oliver of Last Week Tonight called out Fox for the video, as it was uploaded to YouTube on July 23rd, 2010. While the video may be disturbing to some, it’s important to note that Fox News is using a five-year old video under the false claim that it’s recent in order to stir up animosity towards refugees. Another example of Fox being nothing more than a conservative platform is the “Fox & Friends” segment that airs every morning. Fox & Friends is nothing more than right-leaning politicians and analysts bashing on the the Obama Administration. Fox & Friends isn’t news, but instead an entertainment show based on the opinions of the presenters in regards to the news covered.

When did the death of news begin? For many, the answer is William Randolph Hearst’s invention of yellow journalism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For myself, however, the answer is the introduction of the 24-hour news cycle. With the advent of cable channels devoted solely to news coverage (CNN being the forerunner of the format), American’s have been glued to their TV’s, hoping that they might learn something new within the next five minutes. Stories are met with analysts, who are normally nothing more than average people with a fancy title giving their opinion towards the event at hand. CNN and other 24-hour news stations often become so fixated on a single story that it’s blown sky-high out of the water. Take CNN’s coverage of the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 in March of 2014. For months, its disappearance was the only thing covered, despite no real updates to the story. 24-hour news brings out nothing more than reactionary attitudes and fear-mongering, as seen in the case of the previously-mentioned Fox News clip on Muslims from the Middle East. In my honest opinion, 24-hour news has ruined a generation of Americans, who now expect their news to be given to them in a fast manner that’s palatable for them to swallow.

One of the other areas destroying the credibility of journalism is the sudden rise and phenomenon of online “journalists”. Nowadays, anyone with half a brain and a laptop thinks they can become the next Peter Jennings. All it takes is a little misrepresentation, some alarming headline, and a dash of good ‘ol fashioned lies. Today is the era of clickbait. If you have a Facebook, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ve seen a link to an article with a big, scary headline, bonus points if it’s in all-caps. Online journalism is becoming increasingly more tied in with ad revenue and corporatism. For every click, a penny goes your way. Obviously, these “journalists” will go out of their way to inspire fear and make a few bucks along the way rather than tell the truth. Online “journalism” is killing journalism. When did blogging lies and opinions become a reputable form of news?

In all honesty, I’m scared of what the future holds for journalism. Will it be nothing more than bias in ten, twenty years? Or has that pinnacle of biased reporting (or lack of reporting whatsoever) been reached already? It’s up to our generation to be the change in the current culture of media. We cannot allow ourselves to lap up the “news” we’ve that’s being forced-fed to us on a daily basis. We must stop letting emotions and opinions take hold of our news, and let the truth prevail instead. Sadly, as ancient Greek tragedian Sophocles said, “What people believe prevails over the truth.”