As expected, immediately after Attorney General Barr released his 4-page summary of the Mueller report, many on the right began calling up conspiracy theories about the "hoax" of collusion and Russian interference in our elections. They blamed Democrats, who they say are still sore losers over the 2016 election. And they also placed blame on the media.
It's interesting that we are now hearing reports from inside the Dept. of Justice that AG Barr's summary is not accurately reflective of the Mueller report and that it does find some questionable, even if not criminal, behavior in the president's camp.
An op-ed in Murdock's Wall Street Journal, whose hard news coverage I generally respect, rekindled the "fake news" claims, citing a few instances where the media got it wrong. It didn't bother to note the many more cases where the media got it right, often uncovering things that run counter to honesty and integrity in government.
The media play a crucial role in our democracy, keeping we, the citizens, informed by questioning our elected officials on policy and actions and, yes, tweets. The media also serve us by by finding and reporting on bad or even illegal behavior in our government.
The president and his enablers don't like this, since it hampers or prevents them from doing as they please behind the scenes. Media oversight and investigation expose actions that may not be in the public interest or in keeping with ethics and moral values most Americans hold dear.
So of course those in power will try to push back and silence the media. It's painfully clear and obvious.
That's why it's so important that the majority do our own pushing back, calling out the lie about " fake news" and standing behind the media. Buy and read newspapers. Watch the news on the networks. Write to advertisers who support papers and network news or, if you can, buy the products and services they advertise.
It's on us to support the media so they can continue shining light on the darkness.