Unsigned: Trust in the press to tell you the truth over individuals

At the Golden Globes this past weekend, Meryl Streep used her platform upon receiving the Cecil B. DeMille award to bring attention to recent political events and the future of the United States.

Streep’s speech began to take a political turn when she stated that the Hollywood Foreign Press were the “most vilified segments in American society right now … Hollywood, foreigners and the press.”

Notably to us, she called on the press to hold the people in power accountable for their words and actions.

Though she did not call Donald Trump by name, his presence was obvious in her speech and he took to Twitter following the show to voice his displeasure.

Trump has also recently tweeted misinformation that led to Toyota’s stock losing over a reported $1 billion in the first five minutes after the tweet.

This is a perfect example of how Twitter and word-of-mouth should not be your only news outlets.

As citizens, we have an unnatural trust towards politicians, especially politicians that we have voted for in the past.

Let us do our jobs as journalists; let us challenge the voice of authority and hold them accountable for the people who are listening for the truth.

Think critically about what is being presented to you, as always, but trust the people who are committed to bringing you facts.

As Streep says, there is a relationship between the press and the viewer — the press protects the truth and the consumer protects the press in order to do so.

Don’t trust any one high-profile person or outlet to tell you the whole truth.

There’s inherent bias in everything presented to you.

Consume your media responsibly. Stay informed and stay committed to protecting the integrity that comes from the truth.

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