Our country is in turmoil with no signs of resolution. What started with the protests over the election of President Trump has escalated over the past four years into what we see today.

Protest after continual protest over events both real and perceived, over what people believe is right and what they believe is wrong. It’s our American right, but the ignorance and violence that have emerged from the peaceful protests that began it all is beyond what I ever thought I’d see in my country.

The media has a huge hand in what’s happening today, and not in a positive way.

The purpose of the media is to be a non-biased source of news, telling both sides of a story so citizens can make up their own minds what to believe. That couldn’t be further from what’s happening with the media today, especially in the U.S. As a member of the media myself that frustrates and angers me.

In recent surveys conducted, 75% of people worldwide believe the media should be non-biased, but the majority believe this isn’t happening.

Today’s national media isn’t even pretending to be non-biased anymore. One side openly calls everything President Trump says and does as incompetent, racist, and narcissistic. The other side openly lauds everything he does.

Some news channels take the first part of something the President has said, such as “Egregious displays of bigotry and violence have been seen from protestors,” without adding the rest of the statement, “coming from antifa and other radical left-wing hate groups,” so it’s taken out of context and stirring the waters of anger and discord.

Neither side is right. Neither side is non-biased.

Social media makes everything worse. With all the great benefits to the platform, anyone can post anything, “Over half of the recent looters and rioters in Minnesota have been shipped in from Mars,” for instance, and people will believe it’s true and pass it on to all their friends. Everyone needs to be more responsible with what they post and more skeptical of what they read.

It’s sad to realize that much of what is communicated by today’s media can’t be trusted. People need to understand what they’re hearing from the media may not be true and take it upon themselves to discover the real story, or as Paul Harvey used to say, ‘the rest of the story.’

Will the media accept responsibility? Will it change operations and return to its historical purpose of reporting news to the citizens in a non-biased manner? Unlikely. Only by citizens discontinuing their support by not watching/listening/subscribing to them will there be any hope for change.

On the local side, the Citizen-Tribune has continued to communicate to you in a non-biased manner. Aside from the weekly columns where staff writers are allowed to voice their opinions, the mainstay of the paper sticks with the facts, the way the media is supposed to do.

Luckily contentious events don’t happen that often in our communities, but when there is, the paper has strived to tell the facts of the story, not force personal opinions. Your new newspaper, the Patriot, is committed to doing the same.

I’m going to be part of the Patriot in a reduced capacity, sharing Clearwater’s stories until everything with the new paper has fallen into place and they hire someone to take over the rest of my beat. Even then you probably won’t have heard the last of me. I don’t have any plans to move out of the area so you’ll see me around, and I have a feeling my byline will show up every now and then.

Please join me and the rest of the staff on the Patriot’s new journey, remember, it’s your paper. It’s going to be a fun, informative, and non-biased ride.