The term “fake news” became a mainstream narrative during the Trump administration. Media outlets were peppered with the term anytime a reader or politician disagreed with the reporting.
On Tuesday, nationally syndicated radio host Joe Pags discussed how fake news is rampant as we approach the 2022 midterm elections. Pags said his background in local news has made him weary now that he’s more attentive to the national news cycle.
“I am so jaded on local news,” Pags said. “Having been a former news anchor and having worked at one of the local news stations. When I first came to San Antonio, I was the morning guy and then I would walk down the hallway and do a TV hit every day.”
Pags said early in his career his duties included some field reporting for WOAI-TV.
“I really like the people, I still have a friend or two at the local CBS,” he said. “I don’t watch any of them anymore, I can’t. I used to record them and watch them every night, but I found myself yelling at the TV.”
Pags said he believes that the people who work in local news either believe what they’re saying or have left out key details in their reporting.
“For me, it’s insufferable to not do your job better,” Pags added. “As a journalist, you have one job. I know they have internal fights on these stations about how to cover stories, but when I was an anchor we would have arguments in the newsroom and in the meetings because we wanted to make sure we were right.”
Pags said he has been disappointed with local news and its continued reporting on things like COVID boosters for children when there’s enough information to support the argument against children being vaccinated against COVID-19.
