As a kid, the Detroit Free Press was something I looked forward to every day. My Nana still tells the story of me pretending to read it before I even learned how. I wanted to know what was happening in the big city up the street. The sports, the crime, the politics. It was all so interesting. My favorite was Mitch Albom. It was a column, not just an article, and he always had a good ending.
In my teen years they switched to delivery only 3 days a week, and with the internet slowly making it easier, our relationship sort of faded away. I was no longer limited to the local beat writers as more and more talking heads and keyboarders came on the scene. How could the paper possibly survive?
One might think journalism. They could stick to their slogan “On Guard for 190 Years” and stick to bias-free truth. Or, as it seems they have chosen, they could start churning out click bait material with flashy headlines with the intent of riling up both sides. In my opinion, their goal is to incite heated arguments in their Facebook comments as a way to increase the spread of the article.
I was recently dismayed to see that I had one of these discussions blasted into my news feed as a “sponsored ad.”
Rep. Matt Maddock, wife join conservative Facebook group discussing possibility of civil war
The story by Clara Hendrickson explains how a GOP state rep and his wife commit the crime of joining a facebook group where other people discussed things such as “a big cleanup of our leaders” and their disappointment with recent gun legislation. The article does not point to anything wrong that either target posts, but rather cherry picks comments from random people on the internet to paint the whole group, and everyone associated, in a negative light. The message that the Detroit Free Press is trying to portray is that the couple should be judged by the commentary of strangers in all Facebook groups or discussions they are party to.
But do they hold themselves to the same standard?
The site of this discussion was the aforementioned Facebook ad that at last count 2.6k reactions and over 1700 comments. I don’t feel the need to go thru and select from the trash that is the majority of internet comment sections, because I don’t feel that the Free Press should be held accountable or judged by the actions of people that aren’t even confirmed as real humans. Did the Freep research every person they quoted in the story to check for authenticity? Of course not, they didn’t even include names. Their intent was for me to click on the story, or get involved in the drama at the bottom so it shows up on a friends feed, who clicks on the story.
This is what On Guard looks like?
Shameful, and sad. I chose to block the Freep on Facebook that day. My mental health is too important. I am not strong enough to not read those comments and get irritated. This time it was just too much. I had a soft spot for your dying industry, but not feel like a jilted lover. The Free Press is not covering news, they are covering middle-school drama, and worse yet, they are getting involved in it. They are spreading the rumors rather than seeking the truth.
I miss those days. The feel of the paper in your hand. The newness of the ink. The truth that all politics aside, you were being delivered the news, good or bad. You weren’t being fed the same garbage you could get anywhere. You had Comics and Sports. Major events, local and global, would have the cover story saved or hung as a symbol of history. Now all we get is that weak showing by Clara and the editorial staff who let it by as way to drive dirty web traffic.
My Nana turns 90 this year, the next time I see her she will inevitably tell that same story about the Free Press. It will break my heart to tell her that I no longer even pretend to read it.
The Journey 