President Trump consistently glosses media outlets other than Fox as “fake news.” In keeping with his modus operandi, the President exaggerates and attacks to promote his point(s). But, news stories, which are balanced and not fueled by sensationalism, are relics of decades past.

This morning, around 5:15 a.m.–yes, I am an early riser–I began to listen to Morning Edition on National Public Radio. In the 5 o’clock hour, there was a report about explosions on two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. As the morning rolled into the 6 o’clock and 7 o’clock hours, the story changed.

In the 6 o’clock hour, the explosions were labeled as an “attack” on the tankers despite no evidence to support such a claim. Then, in the 7 o’clock hour, the host of the show stated that there was a report that one of the tankers had sunk. During an interview, NPR’s journalist in the Middle East pushed back and said there was no evidence that a tanker had sunk. Nonetheless, the host wrapped the story by, again, stating that there were reports that a tanker had sunk. There was no information offered about where these reports originated. Moreover, the host did not acknowledge that NPR’s own reporter disputed the claim that a tanker had sunk.

I guess I understand. It’s not about reporting the news. It’s about selling the news such that listeners tune in, and advertisers pay for radio time. And, it’s no worries if NPR’s initial reporting is not completely accurate. Listeners will likely forget because they have a two-minute attention span, and the report on the President’s latest racist comment will help to overshadow the new publication’s folly.

When the President of the United States repeatedly appeals to the lowest common denominator, I should not legitimately expect news organizations to place facts above dollars. Silly me.