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Schenectady
Friday, May 15, 2026

EDITORIAL: Bring Back the Good Old Days of Real News

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Sitting here in my near-centennial colonial, warmed by the⁣ well-worn hearth⁤ of my living room ⁣on another frigid north-eastern New York evening, I can’t help but ⁤dwell on the transformation and evolution of news reporting over the decades. Through the small window of my den, I can just about make out the flicker from the television screen in my⁢ neighbor’s bay⁤ window. Somewhere ​between the blinding neon-blue haze, ⁢splattered⁢ with color as moving images race ⁤across the screen, there used to be the‍ sanctity of news — real ‌news.

It used to be a time when journalism stood for accuracy, objectivity, and‌ above all, truth. ​Honesty wasn’t a subjective interpretation, but a commitment taken seriously, without the slightest willingness to swerve into the lane of embellishment or sensationalism. I miss those days. I miss the era of Cronkite, Rather,‌ and Brinkley; ⁣when the line ‍between reporting the news and making the news was as clear as the Mohawk River that⁤ graces our dear Schenectady.

I’ve spent all my 50 odd years here, ‌and in these five decades, this humble town​ has been through its fair share of events ⁣– some painted with the excitement of progress, like the installation‌ of the Proctors Theater marquee, others imbued with the⁤ melancholy of hardship, like the devastating limb-cracking, power-stealing Ice Storm of⁢ ’98. Mainstream media swirled around these events, as journalists parachuted in from other parts, their‍ mouths ⁣braying ‍like New ⁣York City taxicabs in ‌rush hour about the ‘impact,’ ‘fallout,’ and ‘catastrophe.’ But the truth is, they ⁢were spectators to Schenectady’s lived reality.

On that⁣ freezing morning of the ’98 ice storm, I clearly remember how our local news reporter, Don, who had spent most of his life in the same community, reported from the⁢ scene. His breath visible in⁢ the frosty exhalation, yet his voice warm with an‍ undertone of shared experiences and genuine concern — he wasn’t just delivering the⁤ news, he was living it with us. The distinction might seem ‍minute, but​ it’s fundamental ⁢in fostering credibility — something alarmingly sparse in contemporary coverage.

But lamenting ​over​ the deteriorating quality of journalism while huddled in the warmth of my⁣ hearth⁤ or tossing sage words of wisdom into a conversation during Sunday⁣ mass is one thing, to discuss it analytically is another. That requires not just emotion, but⁤ empirical evidence.

Consider this, for instance. ⁢A study by the Pew Research Center in 2019 found that only 15% of individuals can⁣ correctly identify a factual ⁢statement from⁢ an opinion. Now, in today’s heavily ⁣polarized world, there’s no shortage​ of people ready to point ⁤fingers at ‍various groups, organizations, or‌ politicians as the root cause of this decline. But ‌I see it as an inevitable outcome of news ‍outlets​ in the digital age escalating the race for eyeballs — often making the unforgivable concession of substituting​ fact for viewer-grabbing sensationalism.

Then, let’s not forget the blaring ⁤implications of a Knight ​Foundation report, stating that trust⁤ in the⁣ media has ⁣fallen, with⁢ nearly half of Americans asserting that media‌ is ‘very biased.’

Perhaps it’s the relentless drive for⁢ higher ratings or the desire to land the next viral tweet; whatever the reason, it seems today’s journalists are more ⁤preoccupied with being a sensation⁤ than delivering​ substance. I still recollect the​ electrifying newsroom from‌ the fourth⁣ floor of the Schenectady Gazette,⁣ where journalists like Robert ‌Sullivan committed themselves to delivering‌ concrete facts to their readers, not‌ serving reheated gossip with their personal bias as a garnish.

In these troubled times, where ‘alternative facts’ and ‘post-truth’ are hijacking public discourse, I yearn‌ for the ⁣professionalism, integrity, and⁤ neutrality that used to be the foundation⁤ of journalism. I yearn ⁤for that elusive line between news and opinion. I⁣ yearn for the simplicity, the credibility, and above all, I yearn for the truth.

As I get older, growing closer to the grumbling dialogues⁤ of Archie Bunker and farther from the youthful optimism‍ of Jimmy Olsen, I hope we can reestablish what made journalism important: its dedication to ‍accuracy and impartiality. Real ⁤news needs a comeback, not for my sake or⁢ for some nebulous moral ideal, ⁣but for our‍ communities, for our democracy, for Schenectady, and for us. And with that, I conclude my soliloquy ⁢for tonight.

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Brian McCarthy
Brian McCarthy
I'm Brian McCarthy! At your service to offer traditionally informed perspective on today's issues. Some call it out of touch; I call it time-honored wisdom.
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