Okay, back on my soap box!

When I was in high school, the local paper interviewed me about an honor I’d received from a local elected official.  The article was then published in the paper, and I wondered if I’d been at the same interview.  Nothing horrible, but the quotes were not what I’d said.  My next encounter with the press came as an adult.  I was a young Sergeant, and I’d won Non-Commissioned Officer of the Quarter where I was stationed.  This time the interview was in the Post Newspaper, as opposed to simply the local press, but it had an equal result.  Nothing I said was accurately depicted.  In fact, again I was left to wonder if I’d been there when the interview took place.
 
Thereafter, and throughout my military career, I always looked rather askance at any interview that might come up.  I learned early on to just say, “OFF the record,” before I ever even opened my mouth.  Years later, as a lawyer involved in a relatively high profile prosecution, another reporter landed on my desk.  Fortunately, I wasn’t able to talk to him because of my ethical standards, and I made it quite clear that this was the case.  Naturally, he created his own narrative about why I couldn’t talk, and he was off to the races.  In short, I got excoriated for not cooperating with him, with no mention that by Rule I couldn’t.  So, what is my point?  It has been my experience that if you want the truth, if you want context, and if you want fairness, you’re probably better off reading the wall in a bathroom stall.  Do I trust the MSM or even other less main stream media outlets?  Nope, and haven’t since 1974.