I’m sure you all recall the neo-nazi rally (yes, I didn’t capitalize, but I don’t think they should be put on a pedestal) held in Virginia last week where someone drove his car through the crowd. A lot of the protesters are being “outed” by people on the internet. They’re losing their jobs and have to move because of threats. What’s funny is most of those caught claim not to be part of the hate group.
According to government wage information,
there are over 40,000 reporters in the US.
So why did they protest?
Could it be because of an ad on Craigslist looking for actors and photographers? Basically, did they protest because they believed in the cause or because they were paid?
I don’t know if this is true. I’ve just seen it a couple of times on the internet, and I am always cautious with this type of information. But wouldn’t it behoove the media to find out if it is true? If I were a reporter, I’d like to “out” the person responsible.
But then again, maybe the media has their own agenda.
Some laugh when they hear the term “fake news,” but isn’t that exactly where we’re at right now. The news media plays little snippets of interviews that formulate the story. It might come out later that the snippet was taken out of context and used only to formulate a certain opinion.
According to sciencealert.com, 80% of middle-grade students
can’t tell the difference between a real news story and a fake one.
And when it comes to people paying these protestors, the media is all but silent. Is it because they know it’s a false claim or because they get money every time there’s a riotous protest? The more and longer these protests go on, the bigger chance people might watch the news stations which means more ads. And isn’t that what it comes down to – money? Even if the story isn’t true, if the media gets paid enough, they’ll post it.
Don’t believe me? How often have you seen the news retract a story because they didn’t get the facts right? Of course, the apology never garners the attention of the initial piece. The news media learned a long time ago that outrage feeds into our minds and gets more follows than a mediocre story.
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You know, that is one of the consequences of the weak sense of responsibility of the press. The press does not feel responsibility for its judgments. It makes judgments and attaches labels with the greatest of ease. Mediocre journalists simply make headlines of their conclusions, which suddenly become generally accepted. – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Nobel Prize winner of literature
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We should call out news agencies when they create this fear and hate. Instead, we pass it on. Proverbs 10:18 tells us that He who conceals hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool. By passing on false or incomplete news stories, we are lying and being made to look foolish.
Can we be far behind becoming a dictatorship when our own news agencies pick and choose what truths we should be told? Isn’t that how leaders in communist countries work?
The news organizations need to step up and find the truth behind these protests. Is someone paying for such hatred? As Christians and Americans, we should all want to know who is stirring up trouble whether it be an individual or the media. You never know when your group will be the next one targeted.
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Even if say 5% of the people there were paid by some incredibly wealthy racist to bolster their numbers, that still doesn’t account for every Neo-Nazi group that attended. Two – there’s a saying: “I wouldn’t do X, even if you paid me a million dollars.” I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t join a pro-hate rally even if you paid me a million dollars. I wouldn’t sell myself or my neighbors out like that because Jesus called me to love them – even my enemies.
Well said, Jamie. I would never join a protest sponsored by a hate group. Unfortunately, a lot of people will.
Well said, Kathy. It’s long past time for us to take responsibility for all our actions, including believing without verifying everything we read on social media or hear on the “news.”
So true, Skye. I get tired of telling the same people over and over they need to check. And some of these stories are so obviously false, I don’t get how anyone can believe them.