And all I want to know is the news

       Let me define the news:  events that affect me and my Family.

            My father used to say, he only believed 10% of what he read, and 50% of what he saw on pictures and video.  Most of us know about Photoshopping.

            So I figure this problem is as old as prostitution, and other such things.  But what seems, to me, is that the problem is worse these days, what between people expressing their opinion as news (sometimes they say "this is the truth"), and even outright lying and fakery.

            Now if I wanted opinion, I prefer, still, to go to the local Hardee's fast food place to get still well opinionated ideas, though I do enjoy reading a lot of Internet opinions, too.

            What is frustrating these days, call it a feeling, is that the opinions have become so omnipresent that even reading the foreign news reports of events, both foreign and domestic, is a nice alternative to me. I feel it gives me some balance, in my mind, when seeking out the "news".

            Examples abound, but here's two. The foreign events unfolding in Syria are reported very differently between the USA news sources, and the foreign news sources, which often have their own problems.  And second, a lot of domestic news seems to be getting suppressed by USA news sources. My reference is reading USA news through the Internet "open sources", and comparing that to USA news sources reported through TV and printed media, and the Internet, too.  While I think this has always gone on, like the Yellow Press idea from over a century ago, I feel it is even worse now days, like becoming propaganda to influence me.

            And you know what, I tune it out. Said another way, my "antennas" are up, and my  news "filters" are sharpened every day.

            What is a shame is that this did not have to happen, but is happening. The result is an ongoing and fundamental change in the decline of institutions like the New York Times, which used be the number one newspaper in the USA, but is already down to number three (and apparently declining), and all because opinions are put on the front page as "news". If I worked at the other Divisions, like food and restaurant reviews, I would be hacked off, but that is just me. In other words, the entire newspaper is still pretty good, just not the news Division.

            So in the end, I suspect it will result in new organizations arising that just report the "news". What a novel idea. And in the same vein, other organizations more stuck in the status quo, will go out of business. 

            "Would you like fries with that order?" is a phrase perhaps a lot of news media types should be rehearsing.