OPINION:
It’s the media.
For years, the press has promoted the political left as the moral compass for society, framing its agenda as the only path to a better world. The left has dominated airwaves, newsrooms and social feeds since the days of disco. But instead of honest debate, its tactic has been to demonize anyone who dares disagree.
I recall an event at which a protester called Charlie Kirk a fascist. Kirk calmly asked, “How am I a fascist? Can you name one thing I believe that’s fascist?” The protester got flustered and was unable, obviously, to name anything. The exchange summed it up: rhetoric over reason, labels over logic.
Of course, political figures have always hurled insults. What’s new, and dangerous, is the media’s role. News outlets don’t present themselves as opinion pages but as arbiters of truth, packaging partisan spin as fact. If they had been up-front and simply stated, “This is our opinion,” the damage would have been less severe. Instead, their relentless framing shapes public perception, stokes division and excuses hostility.
The old cliche about “blood on their hands” applies here. By turning conservatism into a caricature of evil, the press has helped normalize rage against the right. The assassination of Charlie Kirk is only the latest, tragic example. An honest media wouldn’t cure all of society’s ills but might prevent some of its worst.
SCOTT THOMPSON
Bloomington, Indiana
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