Media Credibility

To answer the question as to whether making up stories in the American media market is true, then I say hell yes it's true. It's easy to find an example. Dan Rather is that example, a perfect one at that. The reports that he read on a national news program were found to be false. If he is reporting false news on a national news circuit, then what is going to make us believe that Joe Schmo up at some hole-in-the-wall news station isn't doing it too. The truth to the matter is that it is happening everywhere. Go watch a news story on TV tonight or any night and after hearing something that might not sound true to you, go research it on the Internet and find out if the story is true or not. If it turns out to be true, then big deal. But if it's false, you could expose that reporter that gave out the false information. Moving on to the next question. Should journalists be required to have licenses and can they be revoked if they are irresponsible in their work? I say why not? There are all sorts of other professionals out there that have to have licenses. Doctors and lawyers will sure get their licenses taken away for bad work. Why not journalists? If they are misinforming the masses then they shouldn't be working in the field. Going back to Dan Rather, the facts that he reported on live television turned out to be misleading. Hence, he doesn't have a job anymore. Same rules should apply to anyone!