THE OP-ED REPORTER: Dear Reader. . .News has a purpose, to empower the informed. According to the American Press Institute, truthful Reporting is Journalism's first obligation, and the Press is part of the glue that connects a community to that Truth. I am reminded daily: truth will rise above falsehood like oil rises above water, but sadly not before some serious societal consequences occur.

The post-election internet unleashing is a prime example of the difficulties of emotional reporting and judgments by both the media and "the public," who participated in the political theater. I find no moral ethics as many choose to create the news rather than report it.

As difficult as it may be, the Journalistic allegiance and discipline is about a consistent method of testing the evidence, and placing the public good above all else so no assumptions creep in through sensationalism that does more harm than reporting good.  It's about learning to manage Bias and self-interests in reporting.

Throughout the years, technology, techniques and conventions have changed to help determine the reliability of journalistic interpretation, and yet bias does exist, and a good journalist will know when a little of it is necessary to shine the light on an ignored side of a reporting issue.

One can believe 99% of pointless babble on tweeter, as researched at Carnegie Mellon University, or choose to believe unrestrained falsehoods by popular internet sites. We've all experienced it. If a lie is told enough it becomes a truth. One that can destroy lives.

Truth is a tough moral; at times hard to swallow, especially when it seethes at the emotions of what the writer believes.

Facebook mogul Mike Zuckerberg is making an effort to improve on what is truth in his social realm, and has tossed his executive hat into the media ring to work with the likes of Fox News, the Washington Post and others in order to mitigate fake news. It is apparent the self-reporting system of questionable postings has not worked well.

For the one billion plus users, is it too late or can the horse be taught new tricks? Or will the deleterious garbage of bias and emotion be allowed as a post under the guise of freedom of speech or even Journalism?

Leo Tolstoy may have said it best: "Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold."

And that's the story.

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(c) C.CeCe Day Hill 2017, All Rights Reserved - E-mail: [email protected]