‘The truth is worth it,’ but where can you find it? As the news media sets the stage for 2024, most are sticking to their respective side of the aisle. Yes, most of the media leans more left than right however, there is not a single outlet which represents a majority of Americans who identify with either party’s agenda.
After President Trump’s speech at the RNC, correspondents at ABC News were ready and willing to point out and “fact check” every embellishment or fallacy he made. Yet no one from ‘America’s number one news source’ talked about the facts the former President had correct. Here is just a few:
No. 1- “Under the Trump administration, just three and a half years ago, we were energy independent.”
In fact, we made more energy than we used and were able to profit off of what we didn’t use.
No. 2 – “Right now as we speak, large factories, just started, are being built across the border in Mexico. So, with all the other things happening on our border and they’re being built by China to make cars and to sell them into our country.”
This is true and quotes about this happening have been taken out of context. (See the bloodbath article I wrote earlier this year.)
No. 3 – “They are coming in from every corner of the earth not just from South America, but from Africa, Asia, the Middle East. They’re coming from everywhere. They’re coming at levels that we’ve never seen before.”
While the media has cherry-picked the last sentence of this paragraph, which said “people are coming from jails,” they neglect to inform the American public there are people entering into this country illegally from around the world, not just South America. When outlets do this, it makes the former President seem racist against Latinos and not just a person who is against illegal aliens (because that is the legal term) entering the country.
All of these went unmentioned by the ABC anchors and correspondents, thus breaking the trust of those watching from the right side of the aisle and pandering to the left. However, the 2016 and 2020 elections, which neither side of the media seems to want to let go of, took another plot twist which had some Republican pundits saying, “I told you so.”
President Joe Biden stepped down from his 2024 campaign…in a post on X. The 81-year-old chose a very millennial way to break up with someone (via text). MSNBC anchors were saying, Biden is “What patriotism and selfless service looks like.” Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, Newsmax anchors were questioning his cognitive abilities and if he should be sitting in the oval office. While the latter of the two outlets is not a completely unreasonable reaction, it is being used manipulatively within their narrative.
There is one thing most outlets have agreed upon this election cycle, shooting a former President is bad. However, no one focused on the facts. Instead, left outlets took the event and twisted it into a gun narrative. This is not the time for partisan media narratives. Present the facts. Someone shot at the former President. Trump survived. The shooter is dead. How did the Secret Service not prevent this? What can be done to keep Presidents safe? The end. Focusing on the shooter only entices copy-cats to attempt the same.
While President Biden called for a downplay of the violent rhetoric, outlets went ahead and replayed what some may consider a call to action from BOTH sides of the aisle.
Replaying the saucy soundbite of Biden saying, “It’s time to put Donald Trump in the bullseye” (which he later said was a mistake), or Trump saying, “So now we have a new victim to defeat, lying Kamala Harris!” only incites more violence. Instead of going for the outrage soundbites (which I get makes clicks but stop, we are supposed to be responsible) outlets need to go for substance, truth, and unbiased facts.
I specifically say unbiased facts because outlets are still continuing to selectively pick facts which are convenient for the narrative they want to play. This is another bad habit of the media which needs to end.
Looking forward to the DNC, I unfortunately anticipate there to be significant bias and spin in coverage. To be adequate, all outlets need to do the following:
No. 1 – Present all the facts (not just selective ones)
No. 2 – No name calling (‘Border Czar’ is not Harris’ title)
No. 3 – Stay away from spin and opinion. Viewers don’t care what you think, and you certainly shouldn’t be telling them how to think. Stick with the facts. Harris is Vice President; she had a tough-on-crime career as a prosecutor. Her stance in Israel/Palestine is unclear and voters are looking for clarification (don’t put your opinion in on what you think her stance is, let Harris say it herself).
Lastly, remember no matter how good or bad it may be, it is about the viewer. What do Americans think of her? Because the more we focus on the needs of our own countrymen, the more honest our coverage can be.
Krystina Alarcon Carroll is a news media columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. She has experience in almost every facet of the industry including: digital and print news; live, streamed, and syndicated TV; documentary and film productions. Her prior employers have included NY1 and Fox News Digital and the Law & Crime Network. You can find Krystina on X (formerly twitter) @KrystinaAlaCarr.
