High school students visit the newsroom at a local paper a long time ago.
In the daily struggle to fend off despair in our current political and cultural quagmire, as a reporter and commentator I caught a glimpse of hope in a recent news story about college student newspapers.
In a news story April 1, MinnPost colleague Brian Arola nicely summarized student newspapers at several colleges in Minnesota: “Despite declining readership in the newspaper industry, many student-run publications remain up and running in Minnesota.”
That is the hopeful part of the story. I characterize it as a good example of venturing into the Metamodern Era, where faith, hope, and truth are rebounding, while retaining the skepticism and questioning of the Post-Modern Era, when necessary. That part showed up a few days later in several stories about a former employer.
“Fargo Forum lets go of liberal columnists, sparking protest,” reads an April 3 headline on Minnesota Public Radio. Not long after, Minnesota Star Tribune columnist Karin Tolkinnen’s comments came headlined “Fargo Forum’s cuts are no savings,” reflecting the lame excuse about being a business decision.
In a statement to MPR, the Forum Communications president said it was “strictly a business decision based on data and feedback from our readers.” In the paper, the editorial board wrote the changes will allow the paper to “be choosier about creating a better balance of voices.” Language straight out of the Waffle House, and batter for ridicule among serious, respectable journalists.
As I read these news stories, I had been waiting to see if the commentary that I had submitted some weeks ago would show up on the editorial page of the local newspaper that is part of Forum Communications. Although I had not asked, I now have a good idea of why it hasn’t. The commentary was a version of my Feb. 26 post, “‘The devil made me do it’, In quest for political power, Christian nationalists playing with fire.”
In normal times my political perspective as a news commentator by no means could be labelled ‘liberal firebrand’. Depending on the day or the topic, my perspective is a mish-mash of slightly left-of-center, radical moderate, or progressive conservative.
The latter could also be ascribed to “North Dakota Republicans,” at least as I once understood them: fiscally conservative yet socially moderate, somewhat. Also, Minnesota Republicans in the 1940s and 1950s (before the Post-Modern Era); Republican Governor Luther Youngdahl was a champion of reforming state hospitals in the late 1940s. In today’s version of the Republican party, they would be banished to perdition along with all Democrats and moderates.
You’re welcome
If readers of our local Forum Communications newspaper appreciate seeing commentaries by conservative columnist Cal Thomas, you’re welcome. Decades ago, as editor it was my decision to add Thomas in an attempt to provide some balance to the editorial page. He seemed old when we subscribed. Today I’m still amazed to see his byline and photo, still going strong at age 83.
I am less impressed by his commentary. Often repetitious, predictable viewpoints bashing Democrats and government in general. In one column he blames FDR and the Democrats if our nation is heading for a constitutional crisis. He quotes Thomas Jefferson (a slave owner) saying that all government should be tightly reined so that everyone has a chance to gather as much wealth as they can.
Thomas has made millions over the years saying essentially the same thing, bashing liberals and Democrats for whatever they happen to be doing at the time, with no supporting evidence, and then spewing the usual conservative line about small government and the right of people, the super-rich in particular, to do whatever they want.
His April 9 column criticizes Pope Leo and supports an administration that calls for the wrath of God on our nation’s enemies, in this case Iran. He calls the war on Iran “a pre-emptive strike on an evil regime,” conveniently forgetting that the nuclear deal with Iran forged by President Obama, had it been finalized, would have prevented the current conflict.
Agree with Cal?
But I do agree with Thomas on his March 1, 2025, column: “A warning for President Trump. There is one enemy that is far more dangerous than any foreign threat or the high price of eggs. That enemy is pride, which as Scripture warns “goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall.” (Proverbs 16:18).
“History is replete with leaders who have been consumed with and destroyed by pride. Let this serve as a warning, Mr. President. The best friends are those who speak the truth, disregarding the effect it might have on their own positions. Will you listen and avoid the fate of others who traveled down this dead-end road and learned too late to regret it?”
You could say that some of those “best friends” could include the former columnists at the Fargo Forum newspaper. Or reporters afflicted by the “chilling effect” arising from new, right-wing, billionaire owners of major news media such as the Washington Post or CNN. History proves that attempts to muzzle journalists from telling the truth will fail.
I am hopeful if not greatly confident that students and young journalists today will find ways to have a voice in a media landscape sinking into the control of billionaires. Learning the principles of journalism is as important as ever in the digital age, said Winona State University adviser Doug Westerman in the MinnPost story. “You still have to check sources, you still need to do research, whether it’s going on a printed page or going on a post,.
I will be exploring this in future posts, and in person at a community education program at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 29 at the Jefferson Learning Center in Willmar. The title, “Misinformation, Disinformation, and the Freedom of Speech,” sounds much more impressive than my credentials. I will do my best.
The outline includes the mediascape today, some background, legal framework, and hope for the future. Our digital free-for-all can be traced to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which removed any liability for harmful content. Murdoch and Fox have done great damage to facts and truth. Hope for the future includes reining in the internet, managing AI, and educating about media use.
One would think that a commentary about all that, if submitted to the Forum Communications op ed sections, would be accepted for publication. The odds could improve if it includes a mention of Cal Thomas.
