There’s certainly no shortage of bad news today. With so much media available to us, and with so many media outlets struggling, the old adage “bad news sells” has never been more obvious. Everywhere you turn you’re surrounded by bad news. It’s no wonder we’re all stressed and angry.
And it’s going to get worse if we don’t do something about it.
Remember the days when the media just reported the facts?
Remember when the media wasn’t so slanted and biased?
Remember when public officials were intimidated and afraid of the media?
Not anymore.
Now, all of the media outlets are just trying to pay their bills. They’ve cut their staffs, they’ve become extremely biased, and they’re only interested in what headline will sell the most papers, which interview will be the most contentious, which host will “lose his cool” and which video will get the most “clicks.”
Public officials, politicians, and those we hold accountable know that the news has become this vast wasteland of YouTube videos, and graphic headlines, and they know that we’re too busy to care. Hell, most of us don’t even vote.
This has got to change.
You’re not getting involved if you “like” something on Facebook.
You’re not getting involved if you “tweet” something.
You’re not getting involved if you “share” some comment, or silly political cartoon.
You’re not getting involved if you constantly whine and complain about your newspaper.
And you’re not getting involved if you keep telling me “you should have asked this, or you should have been more tough on them.”
I think I’m pretty damn tough, and now that style has cost me, and you.
I can’t begin to tell you the amount of e-mails, text messages, or phone calls I get on a daily basis telling me “you need to check into this” or “I heard something you might want to investigate.” While I truly appreciate the “tips,” I just can’t possibly check every single thing out, and neither can our local newspaper. Not to mention the fact that getting public information has become more difficult now than it ever has before.
We have a real problem in this country today and the problem is you and me. We’re too busy. We’re too lazy. We just don’t care.
That is why I’m begging each and every one of you to get involved. Quit saying you don’t have time. Quit complaining about what your media is NOT doing. Quit making excuses for not voting. Quit complaining and do something. Go to a city council meeting. Go to a county commission meeting. Contact your representative and demand that they be accountable. Go make a public records request and see how your city and county is spending your money. Quit using social media as your way to “get involved.” It ain’t happening.
Gone are the days that the media could get it done. Hell, they can barely make payroll.
Citizens MUST get involved. You HAVE to find the time. We’re losing control.
Trust me, if more citizens start questioning what their government is doing, change will happen. We keep hearing the same old thing time and time again, from the same people. It’s getting old.
WE THE PEOPLE have to regain control of our community and our country, or we’ll wake up one morning and wonder “what happened?”
