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Enough with the ‘fake news’ talk

“Fake news” is a term that has been a battle cry of President Donald Trump against some national media outlets — usually left-leaning — since shortly after he entered the White House. But it now seems that all of those in media are under fire.

The president has derisively called some in the media “enemy of the people.” “Fake news” is a catch-all label that has assumed position in national dialogue — used by many as a blanket dismissal of news reports however truthful and spot-on accurate that they are. After all, just because you don’t agree with the news doesn’t mean it is fake, artificial, disingenuous or whatever you want to call it. Or whatever he deems to call it. Or any other media critic.

It is time for the president to end the “fake news” rhetoric and accusations. Using a brush stroke as long as Pennsylvania Avenue itself to paint all members of the media as “fake news” — from national publications and broadcast outlets to community daily and weekly newspapers — is not only untruthful, it’s harmful to our democracy.

 Those of us at the Salem News bristle at the suggestion of any “fake news” ever appearing on our pages. We take our mission to accurately report the news and serve our communities through steady, consistent leadership more seriously than ever. That’s a mission we’ve held firm to since our founding nearly 130 years ago.

We pride ourselves on being your local conduit of local information on a daily basis, through print editions and our website at salemnews.net. “Local, local, local” is what we stress and we are certain our readers agree that “local” is foremost priority in serving our readership. It is about trust. It is about fairness. It is about honesty. Always has been and always will be.

We do make mistakes, and when we do, we quickly issue a correction. “Fake news” has no part in our business. Our goal each and every day is to provide our readers with a fair, truthful and accurate account of the happenings within our communities.

 Our nation’s founders agreed with this approach, as they recognized that an aggressive, unfettered press is the best friend of a nation such as ours. They insisted upon it, in fact.

 Congress — and, by extension, the executive branch — shall make no law “abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press …” they mandated in the First Amendment to the Constitution.

 Throughout our history, presidents have been subjects of unfavorable reporting — and yes, sometimes inaccurate stories — by some in the press. Yet none has attempted to pit the American people against journalists to the extent that Trump has.

 Why? Because presidents both liberal and conservative have understood that the press is a self-correcting defender of our liberties.

 Trump and some of his defenders insist he does not mean to tar all of us in the news media. But time after time in tweets and at political rallies, he points to the press — all of us — and lashes out.

 As we noted earlier, Mr. President, it’s time for the “fake news” talk to end. It does not serve the American people.

  We are indeed the Fourth Estate. We carry that title with pride and assume full responsibility for all that comes with it as we have since 1889. There is nothing “fake” about what you read in this newspaper. It is about integrity.

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