Why the Media Has Become a Propaganda Machine

In an article making its way around the interwebs, Patrick Pexton, ombudsman for the Washington Post, gives us some insight into the hopeless bias of journalists when it comes to the gay marriage issue and the progressive agenda. He says that he gets lots of reader complaints arguing that the Washington Post is pro-gay and anti-Christian. To illustrate the point, he makes mention of an email exchange between a Post journalist, a reader, and himself where the journalist answers the reader's accusations of bias. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/patrick-pexton-is-the-post-pro-gay/2013/02/22/fab8235c-7c53-11e2-a044-676856536b40_print.html

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Replied the reporter: “The reason that legitimate media outlets routinely cover gays is because it is the civil rights issue of our time. Journalism, at its core, is about justice and fairness, and that’s the ‘view of the world’ that we espouse; therefore, journalists are going to cover the segment of society that is still not treated equally under the law.”
The reader: “Contrary to what you say, the mission of journalism is not justice. Defining justice is a political matter, not journalistic. Journalism should be about accuracy and fairness.“Good journalism also means not demeaning conservatives as ‘haters.’ ”The reporter: “As for accuracy, should the media make room for racists, i.e. those people who believe that black people shouldn’t marry white people? Any story on African-Americans wouldn’t be wholly accurate without the opinion of a racist, right?“Of course I have a bias. I have a bias toward fairness,” the reporter continued. “The true conservative would have the same bias. The true conservative would want the government out of people’s bedrooms, and religion out of government.”
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I am writing about this issue because it is the barometer of our time. Wherever you land on the gay rights issue decides if you are acceptable or not in our culture. If you affirm gay marriage, then you will be considered to be on the right side of history. If you say it is morally wrong, even if you do nothing to stop it, you are lumped in with racists and Neanderthals. It is the new litmus test and the new justice issue for the progressive elites, including many in the media. We are not even discussing the issue anymore. If you disagree with ever facet of the gay agenda, then all other arguments that you might make are irrelevant. Of course, the same applies to disagreeing with all tenets of evolution, modern psychology, sexual freedom, abortion on demand, or a host of other intellectual and moral positions. Either get with the program or remove yourself from society. That is not just the mantra of the Left, but it is the opinion of the Media as well. This has been going on for sometime, but only now is the Media confident enough to begin to admit it. 

And, here is the crux of the issue - the real reason behind the anti-Christian positions taken by many of those in the "legitimate media" as the Post journalist calls his profession:

[From Pexton] "And because our profession lives and dies on the First Amendment — one of the libertarian cornerstones of the Constitution — most journalists have a problem with religionists telling people what they can and cannot do. We want to write words, read books, watch movies, listen to music, and have sex and babies pretty much when, where and how we choose."

What this is really about is that people want to do whatever they want to do whenever they want to do it without anyone telling them that it is wrong or that it is not approved of. This is not really about justice - it is about license. No rules. No morality (at least not of the Christian kind). No standards at all - except what THEY decide the standards should be. Try and oppose the dogma of political correctness and you will find out that one cannot "write words" or "read books" or "do what one chooses to do." They believe in morality - just their own. And, under the guise of "journalism" they are going to slant every story they tell to promote that agenda - including stories about politics, entertainment, the economy, and of course, social issues. It even works its way into sports reporting.

I am actually not advocating one position or another here. My personal perspective is that of a conservative, Evangelical Christian. But, I recognize that we live in a pluralistic country with competing views. I get that and I also have no desire to take anyone's civil rights away from them or to promote injustice of any kind. But, let's have an honest discussion. I am tired of the bias from Right-leaning media as well. It is everywhere as truth is completely sacrificed for persuasion and appeals to power. I am at the point where I simply do not trust the story-tellers in our society. Personal bias is everywhere and it is a sign of a society that has completely lost its way. Jeremiah 59 explains our situation well:

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No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; 
they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. 

So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; 
for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead. We all growl like bears;
we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away. 

So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. 

The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. 
(Isaiah 59:4, 9-11, 14, 15 NIV84)
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Truth is nowhere to be found. The Free Press that the nation needs has been subverted to personal bias and agenda and it is on the Left and the Right. We have to learn to discern and think for ourselves and not let others do it for us. 

We live in interesting times. 

HT: http://www.dennyburk.com/asinine-ignorant-unfair-journalism-at-the-washington-post/