Dear media, you wanted to play the ‘fake news’ game — hope you enjoy it

Enough already with the media bemoaning the attacks of President Trump on “fake news” and the media as a whole; you’d almost think we were living in a totalitarian state from the constant whimpering and wailing.

Just last week the Committee to Protect Journalists even named Trump the most oppressive leader towards press freedom in the world. It would appear they’ve never been to other countries in the world where troublesome journalists just disappear or have mysterious accidents.

{mosads}If they really would like to know what oppressive leaders do to a free press, I’d offer that they might want to book a flight to, say, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and see how they like them apples.

The mainstream media is displaying, intentionally so, a distinct lack of self-awareness. They don’t understand how most of the real world views them, even though there are plenty of warning signs like, say, Politico’s poll showing 46 percent  of the American people think the media makes up stories about Trump — not writes biased pieces against him, but makes up stories out of thin air. Gallup has also shown that Americans’ view of the trustworthiness of the media has cratered, falling from 72 percent in 1976 to 32 percent by the end of 2016.

While I clearly wasn’t around at the invention of the printing press, it strikes me that this could very well be one of the lowest points for media trustworthiness since said invention. Now the Pew Global poll from Jan. 11 shows that the media in America is considered some of the most biased in the world.

A little self-awareness or, perhaps, even reading of the news might illuminate the media but, no, they would rather, of their own volition, just take an axe right to the very foundations of their credibility and keep right on hacking away at it.

One of the real problems is that many in the mainstream media have become part of the “game.” The referee of a game is considered objective — in fact, has to be objective — or he or she wouldn’t be allowed to referee the game. Honestly, what would happen if the referee were to join the game and actually try to help one of the teams win, all while still trying to referee the game? Even worse, what would happen if the referee was actually taking money under the table to rig the game in favor of one team?

That, of course, would be unacceptable. People would think that to be absurd and view the referee no longer as an objective observer but as a person who has made an intentional decision to join the game to help one team beat the other. The fans would go nuts, dismiss the game as rigged, and walk out.

This is precisely what is taking place right now. Many in the real world view the mainstream media as partisan hacks masquerading as journalists, having joined the game to help one side win; in a Captain Obvious moment, that’s not Donald Trump, just so we’re clear. Yet, all of this is perfectly fine as long as everyone is honest about what is taking place.

The masquerade of disinterested media with no real dog in the fight is over. We all get it. Except, of course, the media. They are deeply offended that they are being called out, righteously intoning that there must be a free press and that “Democracy dies in darkness.”

Well, to be clear, many of us think the truth dies on the media’s editing floors. And everyone wants a free press, but we want a free, objective and honest press. Once you join the game, guess what? You’re no longer seen as objective.

You’ve stopped being Switzerland (though some would argue that stopped decades ago) and have now become, say, Germany. Or Russia. You’re now fair game. You’ve picked a team, so prepare to get pushback, punched, attacked. Welcome to the game of politics.

It would be helpful in this discourse if the mainstream media would drop the pretense of being guardians of truth and rightness. They’re just another guy or gal with an opinion, with his or her own worldview and values driving a specific narrative.

And that’s fine: All human beings have a set of presuppositions and biases through which they view the world and frame their decisions. Those biases and presuppositions are based on certain beliefs about ultimate realities, as in where did we come from, what is our purpose, are there absolute truths?

However, for decades, many on the left, including many in the mainstream media, have intoned that there are no absolutes, that everything is relative; everyone has his or her own truth, his or her own reality and far be it from anyone to judge another’s truth or reality.

The problem for the media now is that, in a world they helped create, many choose not to believe or accept the media’s “facts” and their “truth.” The media responds by insulting those who will not believe them, to which I say, “This is the world you helped create. I hope you enjoy it.”

Ned Ryun is a former presidential writer for George W. Bush and the founder and CEO of American Majority. You can find him on Twitter: @NedRyun.