Does the Media Deserve Forgiveness?

Back in the day the role of the media was to report the news. Now in today’s world the media creates the news. They are the 4th branch of the government; and silenced for reporting what may not be in alignment with a current president.  Does the media deserve forgiveness when not telling the truth to the public?

Should the media be granted grace and mercy for reporting untruths? Should the media be given a free pass for stirring the pot in racial riots, Benghazi; or the never ending stories about Kim K? Does the media just need to get a life?

The latest media situation or situation of untruth is regarding Brian Williams. He recently admitted on air about fabricating a story of personal heroics, claiming to have been aboard a helicopter in Iraq in 2003 when it was hit by enemy fire. Williams says, ‘“I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago,” Of course one may question how a mistake can be made in reporting that he was there when he wasn’t. And now he remembers the truth.  He continues on to say in his apology: “On this broadcast last week in an effort to honor and thank a veteran who protected me and so many others after a ground-fire incident in the desert during the Iraq War invasion, I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago. It did not take long to hear from some brave men and women in the air crews who were also in that desert. I want to apologize.

“I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire. I was instead in a following aircraft. We all landed after the ground-fire incident and spent two harrowing nights in a sandstorm in the Iraq desert.

“This was a bungled attempt by me to thank one special veteran, and by extension, our brave military men and women, veterans everywhere, those who have served while I did not. I hope they know they have my greatest respect and now my apology.”

The question is: does he deserve forgiveness? Did he just diminish what those military men and women were up against to make it all about him? Didn’t he know then that what was being delivered wasn’t the full truth? And wouldn’t you think that there should be an issue with that? But apparently not right? Or is that just the norm for the media?

So it begs the question: Does he deserve it for misrepresenting the news, the truth; and his position in it? Does he deserve to lie to the public and then years later apologize with no real consequence? Does the media in general? Should they be held to a higher standard than anyone else? Or are they just people who make mistakes?

In our ever so critical world people have become more skeptical; and probably rightfully so. The media has an agenda and while it should be to report the news; more often than not they are caught in influencing the news to something of a distortion. Should there be forgiveness for knowingly doing this? Again-you decide.

One may argue that the media and most of its main stream liberal bias is nothing new, that new casters lie all the time for their own benefit; and that it should be no surprise. Others may say that news is the news and if you follow it then you are just that stupid for believing it. Either way- they are responsible for what they speak are they not? Are you not?

Do you deserve forgiveness for inflammatory remarks you make? Or the slander that you may have sometime delivered to someone else?  Of course right! Because you are you. But does someone in a position of delivering the news and truth to the public deserve it too? And should it just be so easily forgiven with no consequence?

If there were consequences of termination for every journalist or politician that spoke untruths; it may be that the government would not exist and there would be no one to report about it. We all would just have more time in our day with less to talk about; and perhaps have less forgiveness to give. But then again you decide. Forgive Brian Williams for lying or not?