LETTER: Persistent media bias harms the journalism profession

The March 14 commentary by Barry Smith of the Nevada Press Association was interesting on several levels (“Shining some light on journalism and news gathering”). I remember when young people were asked why they wanted to be journalists. Almost always the universal answer was, “I want to change the world.” My question even then was: How? By reporting things based solely on facts or framing them with your opinions and biases while not reporting other pertinent facts?

I have concluded that, as a general rule, a very large percentage of the journalists today have been trained in academic institutions dominated by progressive thinking. I could fill several volumes of books with stories from “journalists” full of slants, biases, opinions or facts ignored because they didn’t fit a certain view. I can easily go back years to find examples to prove my point about how much of “professional journalism” has failed to live up to the ethical code of which Mr. Smith speaks.

Little wonder so much of the public rates the press lower than Congress.

David Jaronik

Pahrump