The Role of the Press These Days

There are a growing number of violent outbreaks taking place in Trump's wake and the blank stare of the news cameras are worrying to say the least. For months, media have been capturing Trump's calls to violence, the racist atmosphere he has created, and his dangerous proposals with little comment. The story being told, of Trump and Sanders as two sides of a coin, both outsiders with an angry message for the political elite is nowhere near reality. They aren't even the same currency. Sanders has been firing folks up - whether you agree with him or not - with a package of policies that are aimed at raising up the tired, poor and huddled masses, while Trump has been feeding the flames of fear and shopping a tax plan to help the wealthy just a little bit more. Media reactions to Trump's racism and sexism have been mild and ultimately wrong-headed in their attempts at neutrality and just a few journalists are talking about it. I mean, even with endorsements from noted white supremacist anti-Semites, ostensibly Pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC feels comfortable inviting him to speak at their annual conference. That's because no matter what Trump says or does the only consequences are being felt by his targets. There are times when journalists need to speak out about what we witness. It's time to act like a free press. That doesn't mean we ought to limit free speech, or present opinion as fact. It does, however, mean standing up for truth in the face of lies, holding up an ethic of inclusion, and naming danger when it is clear and present. 

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