Published on September 7, 2024, 12:38 am

As we approach the end of the year and gear up for another round of nominations for noteworthy news reporting, it’s vital to humbly appreciate the era when hardened journalists committed to truthful, real news and hammered out dispatches on weighty typewriters. Today, however, we direct a critical eye towards media inefficiencies, we present our observation on those who miss the mark in various categories.

An example lies with CNN reporter Manu Raju, who has been focusing extensively on Kamala Harris’s numerous subgroup meetings. He has covered niche group meetings such as White Dudes for Harris, Comics for Kamala and more oddly – Cat Ladies for Harris. While he seems eager to report these gatherings featuring politicians like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), it sparks a question whether such micro-level coverage could divert attention from larger political narratives.

In our run-through of reporting errors, MSNBC’s Ari Melber is worthy of mention too. He faced an awkward situation when he denied claims made by guest Corey Lewandowski—claims that were actually confirmed by a video showing Melber himself stating them!

Korie Dean from The News & Observer happens to highlight trivial details about vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz’s visit to North Carolina that focused specifically on his…milkshake preferences! Meanwhile Louisiana Krauss’ investigative piece for Minnesota Star Tribune revealed an obsolete Sega system supposedly owned by Walz. These instances portray how coveted real news sometimes gives way to sensational trivia due to lack of access.

CNN’s Jamal Simmons raised eyebrows during a panel discussion on election state when he insisted Donald Trump lost the debate against Joe Biden – a debate where Democratic Party witnessed meltdown mode causing Biden to be extracted from campaign.

As it gets closer to elections and COVID fear rises again, Aron Solomon from The Hill suggests returning to 2020 pandemic measures despite negligible surge in case rates. His article seems more like a marketing tool for his own legal PR firm’s remote teaching methods.

Melanie McFarland of Salon earned mention in our list due to her review stating Kamala Harris could learn from the TV’s female presidents from series such as “Scandal” and “Veep”—even though the fictional characters portrayed are often buffoons who accrue success by chance.

Effective, trusted news cannot be compromised for sensationalism. Journalists must respect their significant role in shaping public opinion and focus on delivering real news with justifiable evidence reflecting sound journalistic ethics and Christian worldview, rather than projecting individual or corporate agendas. Embellishment over quality press can risk eroding the trust people place on media-the fourth pillar of democracy, which definitely is not something to aim for!

We must remember that we consume news not only to keep us informed but also to educate us about the world – so it must count what your information source values: infotainment or focused journalism?