The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Sheldon Metz
Tony Dokoupil, CBS's newly appointed late-night host, is taking a different approach. CBS has chosen to report news by reaching out to the average person on the streets across the country rather than relying on experts, academics, scientists or educators. Dokoupil now wants to change the words that used to come from people like Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather. Instead, he wants to use average Joe's (read: Republican) words as news, not facts.
My faith in the people of this country is obvious. 250 years of strength have been built by them. American interests were served by their decisions, right or wrong. By turning CBS into Tass and Rossiya Segodnya and the major Russian TV networks Channel One, Russia-1, and Russia-24, all owned and controlled by the government, I doubt that this administration has the same interests in mind.
Their narratives align with those of the state (Trump). Those who are intelligent know these are opinions, not news. People from Iowa or Montana will vary from people from Los Angeles and New York, or people from Dallas or Minneapolis.
CBS's shift in journalistic standards raises serious concerns about objective reporting. Taking average people's opinions over expert analysis risks blurring opinions and facts. The news would lose credibility and trustworthiness. Complex issues require informed perspectives to be understood and conveyed accurately, so this approach could lead to misinformation dissemination.
Government reports are already skewed by removing various departments' ability to disseminate actual reports. The CDC eliminated research and removed thousands of analysis papers about chronic diseases, STDs, Alzheimer's, drug use, prevention and overdose statistics, teen health, and reproductive care. Termination may result from any mention of DEI. The DEIA, indigenous people, environmental justice, underrepresented groups/people, and content specifically aimed at women, including leadership content, were erased. The Pentagram requires a litmus test for media.
Data from the Census, FDA regulations, the DOJ, FBI, and ICE? NOAA maintains a list of retired products and resources, hidden or destroyed. Climate team members were fired, closing the site. Congress mandated National Climate Assessment reports under the Global Change Research Act of 1990, which was taken offline. 400 scientists working on the 2027 assessment were fired. The current administration took over. What they say is ownership of 10% of various private businesses (not counting what he received in personal recompense), which in Trump's mind, is 100%. With a Wharton School degree in Economics, he still believes tariffs are paid by shipping countries, not consumers. What a waste of Fred's time and influence.
If the Trump family were as benevolent as they are unscrupulous, if they would use their corrupt wealth to help minorities instead of hurting them, refugees seeking the Jewish Emma Lazarus' words on the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me," the country would not be as terrified.
We could have a stronger, better and even more prosperous country if they used their influence and authority to help those in need of healthcare, provide billions for the betterment of the world, and educate our youth to take over when they go (and they will). But no. American people are now being vilified into poverty and death by those-Who-Have-The-Most, despite the fact that they made them rich. In Germany, a crazy, small man in the 30s and 40s did the same to Jews, the "lame," minorities (race and religion), homosexuals, interfaith marriages, and children.
Our current president takes from the poor and gives to the rich. No deal is made without motives, enticements, or inducements. Stupid sycophants in Congress approve his actions while those in need are told to "Eat cake!"
In just one year, Trump's policies have exacerbated the wealth gap, leaving millions struggling to survive. Also, they have created a conduit, allowing even more to descend, while the affluent enjoy unprecedented prosperity and tax breaks. A decline in overall societal well-being is caused by a lack of essential services like medicine, education, and public health. Consequently, social unrest and divisions have intensified, threatening small-d democracy and the nation's fabric.
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