Butch Advises Beware of Major News Media

   Do you trust the news? If you’re like me, it may depend on the news source. In a recent study, Americans were asked which news media they trust the most. The results were no surprise. Local newspapers and local radio stations rated the highest in trust by a wide margin, with local TV stations slightly lower. Major network TV news and national newspapers ranked much lower. Only one out of three people trusted cable news, and the least trusted of all was social media, with only 20 percent of those surveyed believing anything they see or hear on Facebook, Twitter (X), etc.

   Why is this? In my opinion, one reason is that local news people live in the community. They answer to the people they serve, and are therefore more transparent. They can verify information and sources. Local news people are present at school board meetings, local government meetings, courtroom proceedings, sports events, community events, and accident scenes. With such a close connection to the people, they naturally earn more trust than any type of national media. At one time, listeners trusted the network TV news. When I was younger, I listened to Walter Cronkhite on CBS, and Chet Huntley and David Brinkley on NBC. I trusted them to tell the truth. Those type of newscasters are long gone.

   A person once told me that “a dog fight at home is more important than hearing about some war in a far off country.” At my library we have on microfilm the Darlington Herald newspapers, which were published weekly from 1916 to 1955. The front page contains all local news … who died, who got married, who got arrested, who visited their relatives, who earned school honors, who played a joke on someone, who scored the winning basket at the last game., etc. The national news was relegated to the back page. Even during WWII, the front page contained articles, not about the war goings-on in Europe or the Pacific, but about local men and women who were serving overseas … and what was happening to them.

   I believe most people, especially those of us who live in smaller or rural communities, would much rather hear about local happenings than listen to the national news. In fact if you go back to the beginning of civilization, people have always been kind of tribal or clannish. We depend of those around us and are close to each other. We want to know what is happening with our friends, neighbors, and people in the local community. No matter where people live, I believe humans are basically “smalltown people.”

   When I arrive home each evening after work, I listen to the weather report on Channel 59 while I’m eating dinner, and then shut it off. I already know what the rest of the news will be…how many people were killed in Indy overnight, Indy politics, Indy pro teams sports results, and accidents in and around Indy…followed by the network news. I absolutely do not trust any news on national network TV or the Internet because it’s all biased reporting. Their main goal is to stir up controversy. I am not on Facebook or any social media either. My blood pressure is just fine, and I want to keep it that way. If you want to lose some friends, go on Facebook and state your opinion about politics.

   The local news is wise to avoid discussing politics and religion. But this is exactly what the national news media and Internet concentrate on. Their biased, opinionated news regarding politics, religion, national and international problems, etc. has divided our country into Red and Blue, Black and White, Right or Wrong…with no compromise….and I am sick of it. How about you?

   I’ll stick to reading local new stories, local sports, and listening to the weather report….and of course, checking the obituaries to make sure I am not listed yet. When my obit does not appear, that’s always a plus!

John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 36 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.