
A former colleague, a man who was a college professor before working decades in the news business, advocated for the licensure of journalists. Real journalists, that is, not those who continually tell falsehoods and then, with their feet held to the fire in court, admit that what they’re doing isn’t real journalism, it’s entertainment. By then, of course, the damage has been largely done, and those who most needed to get the message that fake news isn’t real and real news isn’t fake, are so far gone that they can’t hear anything but the siren call of fear and hatred – which they love, as it appeals to their gut instincts and requires no mental acuity whatsoever.
Wouldn’t requiring anyone wishing to be considered a legitimate journalist to be licensed take care of that? Or much of it? Media outlets, might also be required to obtain a license, if they wanted to be taken seriously by the general public. Let the Society of Professional Journalists act as overseer. They could set up a board, or regional boards, if necessary, using their existing code of ethics as a guide. Anybody losing their license, would no longer be considered a credible source for news. Not long ago, I thought this to be a radical idea. Now, it sounds absolutely reasonable, if we’re to promote the survival of American Democracy.
Another thought that seems more and more reasonable, what with the continuing growth of fascism and what appears to be much of the general public’s growing inability to identify it, is a federal law forbidding anyone other than a native born American, from owning a major media outlet. Not long ago, this idea would have seemed overly restrictive to me, smacking of too much government control. Then an Australian, and his children, none of whom are native born Americans, seized control of FOX. It was also before a man from South Africa who inherited an emerald mine, bought Twitter, and all the mind game political power that goes with it. It was before technology was moving so fast that we couldn’t imagine what the next hi-tech communications monster might be, or who might control it. The Russians? North Korea? Some wealthy trust-fund baby exhibiting signs of psychological co-morbidity who descends from a golden elevator in New York City, with the intention of becoming the first American dictator?
If only native born Americans can become President or Vice President of the United States, then isn’t it only reasonable that native born Americans should be in control of the publicity process that puts them there?
Isn’t the game becoming far too risky to keep playing it without adequate guardrails for the protection of American Democracy? Would licensing journalists and journalism outlets and requiring mass-media owners to be native born, is that asking too much? Once upon a time, I would have thought so. Now, they sound like reasonable ideas if we want to hang onto those freedoms we have left. One of them being, and maybe most importantly, government by the people, administered through elected representatives chosen by free and open elections.