As I get older I am becoming more skeptical (and cynical) about what I may have previously assumed to be true.

Among that was the hidden belief that “journalism” comes from a long line of objective truth seekers.

Now, as I look through newspapers of old, and listen to what was recorded in the early days of radio, and then TV, I’m concluding that I was naive about what the “news” really was.

This gets back to our discussions of history and the knottiness of most questions about the past (e.g., the “historical Jesus”.)

I’m sure there are individuals working as, and self-labeling as, “journalists” who are earnestly seeking what they believe is the truth.

Yet, the outlets that channel the work of thousands of people, churning out “news”, may have little in common with the scattered few here and there.

I know there are non-profits attempting to push a higher quality of journalism - ProPublica, for example - or academics who want to aspire to some objective evaluation of journalism - the CJR, for example - but I am cynical enough to believe that these are mere drops in an ocean of human activity that exists primarily for entertainment.

And by “entertainment” I mean that by which we can divert attention away from the realities of life.