I haven't watched much television news lately. I get upset with the manner news casters sensationalize information. I get a little crazy with it. The other day I turned off the morning news after I shouted out loud at a weather forecaster, "You fear mongerer!" I don't want to be the kind of person who shouts at the television set. What happened to Walter Cronkite? Can't he come back again because that would be so nice to see Walter on my television set. He could be dead and I don't want to see that but I would like to see another journalist LIKE Walter Cronkite. Walter had a round face, shaggy eyebrows, a white mustache and before he left every night he would say, "And that is the way it is." I don't see any news caster now that even comes close to Walter. The news these days is upsetting because it is also presented in a way that stokes fear. I decided to console myself with historical fiction about American politics. The book is working for me. I'm not even half way through so I can't review it here yet. The book has helped me stop focusing on who tweeted what and take a longer view. The times 110 years ago were unsettled like they are now. Our country seemed to be going through a metamorphosis like it is now. What helped our nation back then were the muckrakers. American muckrakers did investigative writing that uncovered the greed, the dirty tricks, monopolies, and the scandalous practices that kept the poor poor and the rich rich Muckrakers came in response to the yellow journalism that exaggerated facts - much like the fake news we have today. I believe what will help our country survive the upcoming metamorphosis is journalism. Muckrakers is a term that sounds like an insult but actually a good thing. We need muckrakers like Ida Tarbell pictured below.
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