I read with dismay the insidious manner in which journalists slant articles they write for news sources. The articles seemingly portray facts but leave out details that could create an even-handed presentation and balance and that would allow the reader the privilege to hear all sides and then truly be informed. How is it that in a so-called democracy as the United States our people are deprived of truth and free choice? When facts are distorted or kept from the public there is no true democracy. I point a finger at the biased news sources who exploit the myth of “printing the truth.” When there is a choice of words that are intended to create a certain picture in the readers’ minds, that is also slanting the truth and presenting a partial view of the news. Using the word murder instead of kill, employing the description of militant instead of terrorist and other such clever choices of words in news sources are intended to sway readers. The purpose of newspapers and other media sources seems to be to get people to agree with their perspectives, not to present facts. How sad the situation has become in the United States. No longer are we an informed people. We are now no better than the censored population of totalitarian countries. We are fed made-up stories, denied facts, and the most grievous wrong is that the ability to really make up our own minds has been taken away from us by a form of censorship. Democracy is slowly ebbing away in the United States. We are being controlled by all forms of media. We have social media, followed by millions; newspapers read by many; and television news channels, and all presenting their version of facts and truth. Entertainers, models and movie stars have now become political commentators and the frightening issue is the sway these have on millions of people, particularly the young and our future leaders. Our children are no longer taught to make informed and intelligent decisions but rather to go with popular opinion. And these popular opinions are fashioned by slanted media and entertainers who for some reason are now role models in the political arena. How frightening for the future of America and democracy; how scary for justice and peace.

One such example was in the Northern Valley Suburbanite this past weekend when [email protected] and [email protected] and Twitter@westhoven reported on two rallies held in Bergen County, New Jersey, one rally in support of Israel, the other advocating for the Palestinians. Both articles mentioned the sad deaths of people (notice I use the term people) in Gaza. One quoted 250 killed, the other 240. But not one word was mentioned about the more than 3000 rockets hurled on the civilian population of Israel? Where is real reporting? Truth in journalism?

Where did it say that these rockets could have resulted in thousands of Isreali deaths, Jewish and Muslim? Where is the reporting of Israel protecting its citizens and caring enough about them to use valuable funds to build Iron Domes and shelters for their population? Where are the recriminations of Hamas when valuable funds are used to build terrorist tunnels instead of helping protect their population? Why are four members of Congress who spout lies and seek dissension and the destruction of Israel continually featured in the media while those seeking peace and facts are ignored? People who seek truth and peace are being intimidated and marginalized by media and news sources.

The last puzzle is why the news media and other sources are fixated on the Israel/Palestine issue when there are so many real issues of human rights violations all over the world. Where is the concern for all people? Where is the upset about people really being murdered in countries like China and Yemen and others. Sometimes I fear this is just another example of baseless antisemitism and the news sources are fostering this hate only a few years after 6 million Jews were slaughtered. My faith in the United states as a sanctuary and as a bastion of democracy has been severely shaken

Truth in journalism is dead in the United States.