I am going to make this into a video short for YouTube. I want your feedback!
1- We admitted that we were corporate Newsaholics and that our bias had become unmanageable.
2- Came to believe that a power greater than bias - called critical thinking - could restore us to sanity.
3- Made a decision to turn over our intentional blatant propaganda and less obvious lazy echo chambers to the care of critical thinking.
4- Made a searching and fearless inventory of the fake news we've produced.
5- Admitted to Twitter, to ourselves, and to Joe Rogan the exact nature of our disinformation, a word we commonly save for those questioning establishment narratives but rarely use for ourselves.
6- Were entirely ready to release our defects of news judgment which include but aren't limited to the following: group think, hubris, moral crusading, identitarianism, lack of time and resources, fear of independent journalism, post-Trump derangement syndrome, character defamation of outsiders, unquestioning trust of bureaucratic sources, regurgitating wires, and basic unresearched stupidity.
7- Humbly returned to a teleprompter, website or social media platform to see where we've removed our shortcomings without alerting anyone so as to paint an illusion that we are trustworthy when in fact we regularly make mistakes.
8- Made a list of persons, issues, and freedoms we've harmed - and became willing to make amends to them all.
9- Made direct amends to such people, issues and freedoms - especially those we've mislabeled conspiracy theorist, misinformation, or extremist in an effort to use our corporate power to silence others.
10- Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted that we repeat the false presumptions of our peers because it's safer than getting kicked off YouTube for telling the truth.
11- Sought through critical thinking to improve our capacity for truth wherever it may lead, seeking knowledge and the fearlessness to report it, even if that means questioning our archetypal public health patriarch, Dr Fauci.
12- Having had an awakening as the result of critical thinking encouraged by historic public distrust in our industry, we tried to carry this message to other corporate TV Newsaholics, and to practice these principles even if the New York Times writes a smear piece.
We drove to a new town in Maine so I used my travel tip for healthy food: look up where you can buy raw milk. It worked again! And this time with a farm tour as added bonus.
Big news: Lynn graduates from college on Sunday! So we are in New England for the ceremony. I did a quick search for raw milk yesterday while traveling to Maine, called the store when we landed to confirm, and BOOM, the rest is nutrient dense history.
When I was in TV news, my mornings were a race against the clock. Wake up, slam a cup of coffee, walk the dog, shower, speed to the editorial meeting (for which I was always late). Now, it’s easy to carry that same intense spirit & overlook the beauty of a morning farm chore routine, taking for granted the invaluable time with my kids, the warm sun, the fresh air, the silly animals. I try to remind myself as often as possible to walk slower, breathe deeper, and smile more. Honestly it’s not a chore routine. It’s a blessing. It’s really a beautiful day, everyday.
