This may seem like I'm going on a tangent but the point is that the media is more like advertisers. The media is selling a product.......their stories. Unlike an individual that succumbs to the unique pressures that influenced who they became because of their individual experiences (like McCain and his Gooks) which can lead to flawed perspectives, the media is INTENTIONALLY creating the stories and narratives to sell their products because that's how they make money.

Ratings and having an impact on peoples opinion is their motivation. They might also suffer from the same issues that other human beings suffer which cause flawed, biased opinions but they ARE PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS that must be held to a higher ethical standard.

Their jobs require them to fact check information before publishing information. If it's biased or misleading, even UNintentionally it means they failed to do their jobs. They have tremendous power to influence the opinions of millions of people and the direction of thousands of realms.

Many of today's journalists abuse that tremendous power for self serving interests and it defines their way of life. I can learn not to let that upset me and understand why they do it but will never forgive them for being that way.

If somebody feels bad about harm they did, like McCain might have done later in life based on this story.......it's easier to forgive them.

If that person is not remorseful but instead, vows to continue to intentionally do the same harm as much as possible with impunity, which is like the media today, there's no forgiving.

They collude with each other to push political views based on violating the principles of good journalism.

The elements of journalism

https://americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/what-is-journalism/elements-journalism/

1. Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth

2. Its first loyalty is to citizens

3. Its essence is a discipline of verification

4. Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover

5. It must serve as an independent monitor of power

The earliest journalists firmly established as a core principle their responsibility to examine unseen corners of society.

6. It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise

7. It must strive to keep the significant interesting and relevant

8. It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional

9. Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience

10. Citizens, too, have rights and responsibilities when it comes to the news

Thus, write Kovach and Rosenstiel, “The first task of the new journalist/sense maker is to verify what information is reliable and then order it so people can grasp it efficiently.” A part of this new journalistic responsibility is “to provide citizens with the tools they need to extract knowledge for themselves from the undifferentiated flood or rumor, propaganda, gossip, fact, assertion, and allegation the communications system now produces.”

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