We are embodying an interesting and threatening era that not only includes the unleashing of a merciless pandemic, unpredictable weather patterns that are getting deadlier by the minute, but also certifies the tragically definitive assurance that the truth as we knew it, will never matter.
We have be granted seamless access to the tool of our imminent destruction, and we are overdosing on the euphoria of being able to freely publish YouTube videos in response to the viral meal on a revolving menu.
As long as we have the devotion of numerous followers, who are attracted to the dialogue that favors their warped assessment of a hot-button issue, we can freely spin the facts in ways that satisfy nagging biases.
Nothing is off limits.
And nobody ever questions the validity of what’s being aggressively re-shared and reposted with intent to forcefully silence those who are adamant about reserving judgment for the much-needed facts.
Unfortunately, if you’re waiting for the miraculous arrival of “fact checkers” to promptly dispute and correct the pages of inaccuracies that are allowed to be clicked into existence by untrained and reckless editors, you will certainly be disappointed by the no-shows.
Once online journalism infected an already feeble landscape, the heavy reliance on speedy publishing without the assistance of the now-defunct art of proofreading, and the exhaustive effort to edit to perfection rapidly became the standard mode of preparation.
This was glaringly apparent when a brief stint at a renowned entertainment industry trade exposed me to the ins and outs of how “editing” is really about being on alert to make corrections, that should’ve been completed before the “publish” button is the option.
The digital content manager more than lived up to that title with the directives that were geared towards investing more in expert curation of click-bait heds, at the expense of well-written pieces that could potentially serve as the informative companion to the main attraction.
Nobody reads anymore.
The headiness of stumbling upon the entrapment of coerced headlines, that provide trickery that dissuades from reading the actual article, has…
