Defending the Fact-Checkers

I was disappointed to hear that Glenn Kessler was leaving the Washington Post, and even more disappointed that no replacement had been named. Glenn was perhaps the first political fact-checker at the Post: he began doing that work back in 2011. He was thorough, he took his work very seriously, and he made a genuine effort to be non-partisan. Of course, if you asked politicians from both sides, they would claim he was biased-- just a partisan hack who hated their side and favored the other side. But Glenn was not a hack, and he was not a partisan either. And even when I didn't entirely agree with him, I thought he tried his best to be fair to the facts. 

While some evidence exists that hard-copy news magazines like Time had a fact-checking department as far back as the 1930s, online fact-checking is something that's relatively recent. One of the earliest sites devoted to it, Factcheck.org, got started in late 2003. The website Politifact.com got started circa 2007. A few other online newspapers and magazines developed their own fact-checkers too, and at least one cable channel has its own fact-checker-- Daniel Dale originally worked for the Toronto Star and joined CNN in 2019. In a world where facts were often in dispute, and each side of the debate lobbied hard to tell the story their own way, professional fact-checkers served a very useful purpose. This was especially true when social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube became dominant: many people who thought they were seeing "news" were really seeing partisan opinions masquerading as accurate fact. It was the professional fact-checkers who delved into the issues and presented much more in-depth (and more accurate) analysis, contradicting the misinformation and showing what the facts were.  

But as Glenn Kessler has noted, these days, the fact-checkers are outnumbered. And it seems the folks who are intentionally spreading misinformation are winning. Consider this: increasingly, more people are relying on AI for their searches and their research. In and of itself, that should be okay-- at its best, AI can explain a complicated subject or quickly find reference works you need. But here's the problem: at its worst, AI can get things wrong, or make up sources that don't exist. Professors are noticing that some student assignments have been written by ChatGPT (if you don't know your subject well, you won't recognize when the AI makes a mistake). 

And to make matters worse, some AI may soon be giving results that are intentionally biased. One search engine (Grok) has already had a tendency to periodically go off the rails and give answers that praise Hitler or encourage antisemitism. And now, thanks to pressure from the Trump administration, the tech giants who own the various AI chatbots are being ordered to remove any "woke" content. That means in order to do business with the federal government, these AI must align with the beliefs and ideology of conservatives. (Although conservatives have long claimed search engines were biased against conservative viewpoints, evidence has repeatedly shown that to be untrue; but it's still widely believed, and the president is determined to make sure only "correct" views show up in the answers AI provides.)

Meanwhile, all over the internet, it's easy to find myths, conspiracy theories, fake quotes, and manipulated or doctored images of events. And let's not forget the proliferation of deepfakes that look like famous people but are really AI generated. And standing against so much inaccurate information are a handful of fact-checkers, trying their best to separate truth from fiction in what we read or what we watch. I hope Glenn Kessler lands somewhere soon, because he's good at his job, and we need him to keep doing it. But it's also up to us to become fact-checkers every day: to avoid sending around memes with fake quotes, or falling for clickbait or outrage porn, and to take the time to seek out reputable sources. Glenn is right that at this moment, it seems like the bad guys are winning, but we certainly don't have to help them. In other words, it's okay for folks to debate what is or is not "woke." It's okay to disagree on the issues and debate whose perspective is the best. But when it comes to accurate and factual information, that shouldn't be up for debate. As New York congressman Daniel Patrick Moynihan once noted, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but no-one is entitled to their own facts." I am sure Glenn Kessler would agree. 

 

Do You Remember the Time? (A Trip Back to 1974)

Sometimes, I enjoy looking back at some of my historical photos, especially the ones that relate to the years I spent in radio. And  whenever I do that, I always come back to several photos from the summer of 1974. This one shows the marquee of the Allen Theater in Cleveland, June 28, 1974. The quality isn't the greatest, but the historical significance is: it's when Rush played at the Allen Theater, and I first met them in person. John Rutsey was still their drummer at that time, and I've told the story of how shy the three guys in the band were. They were very appreciative that I had gotten them airplay at WMMS, and before their gig, their manager promised me they would never let me down. (And in all these years, they never have.)

June 1974 was an interesting month for music. Among the big albums nationally were Paul McCartney and Wings "Band on the Run," Elton John "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," and Grand Funk Railroad "Shinin' On." At WMMS, we were doing well with Roxy Music "Stranded," David Bowie "Diamond Dogs," and the latest albums by Mott the Hoople, the Eagles, and Golden Earring. But our listeners still loved hearing that Rush album, the one with "Working Man" on it.  

A month later, John Rutsey was replaced by Neil Peart. If you're a Rush fan, you know the famous photo that commemorated their being signed to Mercury Records. It was probably taken in early August, if I had to guess. 

You can see WMMS deejay Matt the Cat on the left, and on the right, program director John Gorman, along with Mercury Records local promoter Don George. And in the middle, those three serious-looking guys: Neil, Geddy, and Alex. No, they weren't angry or upset: they were tired, and still camera-shy. And there I was in the front, holding the Rush album (which I still have).  

Perhaps, like me, you were a Rush fan right from their first album in 1974. Or perhaps you became a Rush fan years later. And perhaps, like my husband, you were never a Rush fan (he prefers country music) but you knew someone who was. My husband accompanied me to many of their concerts throughout the 1980s and beyond, and even he could not deny that these guys were dynamic performers, talented musicians, and really fun to watch. 

I have many other photos from along the way: I saw Rush in lots of cities and we remained in touch over the decades. I'm still amazed that more than 50 years have passed since I first met the guys, and I'm equally amazed that we still keep in touch. But I wonder what memories you have of 1974: perhaps you associate it with politics: the Watergate Scandal, the resignation of Nixon, and the controversial pardon Gerald Ford gave him. Perhaps 1974 brings back memories of TV shows like "All in the Family" and "Happy Days," or movies like "Blazing Saddles" and "The Towering Inferno." Or maybe you remember big sports headlines like Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hitting his 715th career home run, and breaking Babe Ruth's record. 

As for me, I will never be able to look back on 1974 without thinking of the first time I played "Working Man" in the spring of that year, never realizing what it would lead to. And of course, I will always remember meeting the guys in the band for the first time: they were so young, yet even then, I knew they had such great potential. In December of 1974, Rush played at the Agora, and they performed some of the new songs they were working on. They also kindly gave me a shout-out when they played "Working Man."

And there you are. It was 1974. I was 26 years old, a deejay and a music director at WMMS in Cleveland.  And it was a year that would soon change my life. In fact, so many things have changed since then-- some good, some not so good. But the music remains, the friendships remain, and the memories remain too. And I'd be interested to know what you think of when you think of the year 1974. Feel free to let me know in the comments!    

The Tao of Wordle

I don't know how many of you recall a book from 1982 by Benjamin Hoff called The Tao of Pooh. It was a best-seller, and in it, the author used the fictional characters from A.A. Milne's beloved "Winnie-the-Pooh" universe to teach about Taoism. Hoff's basic theme was about learning to accept the natural order of things-- in other words, accepting life as it is, rather than fighting against it; being willing to live in the present, rather than feeling obligated to change everything around you. Taoist philosophy speaks about "wu wei," which is often translated as "non-doing," but conveys the idea of going with the flow. Pooh and his friends Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore, and Tigger each have a different lesson to teach us. But one lesson that I remember is Pooh's ability to find joy in simple things. The book commends Pooh for that, and advises us to slow down, and to be mindful of what is around us.

And that leads me to Wordle. I have no plans to write a book about this popular word game, but it has often occurred to me that there are lessons we can learn from playing it. So, with apologies to Benjamin Hoff, and to Pooh, may I suggest the Tao of Wordle? Here are some lessons I've learned in the 3 years I've been playing.

1. You can only play Wordle once a day, and that's okay. Unlike other online games that you can play repeatedly, you have one game of Wordle each day. No more, no less. So, why not enjoy it? 

2. Some days, you will do very well; other days, you won't. There's no way to predict. And however it turns out, that's how it was supposed to turn out that day.

3. Sometimes, you will have a very easy time winning the game. Other times, it will be a challenge. There's no predicting that either. I jokingly say that sometimes, the Wordle gods smile on us, and sometimes they seem to be toying with us. (And now and then, you may solve the game on the first try-- it rarely happens, but when it does, it's guaranteed to make you smile.)

4. Sometimes, you will use logic to solve the Wordle. Sometimes, you will use luck. Sometimes, you will wonder why the Wordle gods chose that word, and you will feel like the game wasn't fair. Other times, you will pull out a win on try #6 and feel gratified that you succeeded. But however you feel, that's the score you got, and tomorrow is another day. 

5. In Wordle, as in life, everything changes, and nothing is forever. You may have a long winning streak. But at some point, you may suddenly lose it. The good news is that losing your streak only means there's the opportunity to start a new streak next time. My longest streak was 322 wins in a row. And then I lost. I was briefly disappointed, but the next night, I started my new streak. That's what a Wordle player does.

 6. Thanks to social media, you may find that others want to play Wordle with you every night. There are people from all over the world who play and then post their scores. If they do well, they are applauded by other players. If they do poorly, other players encourage them. It's almost like a family. And if you are a Wordle player, you never need to feel alone, because others are playing too.

 Perhaps you have some lessons you have learned from playing Wordle, but I guess for me, the biggest one is that like the Tao of Pooh, we can find joy in playing this simple game. And even in the midst of difficult times, we know that there are folks who care how we are, and who are waiting for us to post our score. And so, I'll sign off now-- because it's nearly midnight as I am writing this, and the new game of Wordle awaits. Wishing you a good score, and good people to share it with.

Taking a Stand in Dangerous Times

On Saturday morning, Rep. Melissa Hortman, an influential Democratic state legislator from Minneapolis, was shot dead in her home, along with her husband. The killer also attempted to murder another Democratic legislator, state senator John Hoffman, and his wife, in their home-- the two were seriously wounded, but they survived. Threats of violence have become far too common in our politics, and here again, innocent people were paying a terrible price.  

But the president, always on brand, told the press he would not call Minnesota's governor Tim Walz to express his condolences because he thinks Gov. Walz is a terrible governor. And some of Mr Trump's supporters quickly began social media mockery of what had happened to Hortman, one of the most respected Democrats in state government-- a tactic reminiscent of how they reacted when Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul was assaulted in 2022. Meanwhile, Elon Musk and others tried to claim (falsely) that it was someone from the "far-left" who murdered Hortman. That was not true. By all accounts, the killer was someone from the hard-right, and according to some who knew him well, a loyal Trump supporter. 

Meanwhile, in the midst of the fear caused by this shocking political assassination, the president simply doubled down in his criticism of Democrats. He announced a new plan to ease up on enforcement of deportations in red states, and ramp them up in blue states. The goal, he said, is to focus on big cities, because they are "Democratic Power Centers." He went on to accuse Democrats of hating our country, being sick, violent, deviant, and of course, of intentionally bringing in "illegals" and allowing them to vote (you may be familiar with this claim-- it is better known as the "Great Replacement Theory"). 

Normally, I would ignore the usual heated rhetoric from Mr Trump, having heard much of it before. But this time, it seemed especially cruel, given how a Democratic leader was gunned down so recently, and another nearly killed, by someone who seems to have been immersed in exactly that kind of rhetoric. And sad to say, those who spend prolonged periods of time in the right-wing media echo chamber hear this sort of thing over and over. 

I know what some of you are thinking: "But Donna, I can name a Democrat who said X or Y or Z, and that was awful too!" Agreed, there's angry rhetoric on both sides. And of course, not everyone who listens to violent rhetoric will decide to become violent. But some will, and in the case of Mr Trump, the endless hateful rhetoric has certainly created a permission structure. And while we can all point to some dumb thing politicians on both sides have said, these days there is only one side-- the party led by Mr Trump-- that consistently praises political violence.  

There is ample evidence of this. Mr Trump and his supporters believe that the folks who attacked police officers on January 6, 2021 were "patriots" and deserved a presidential pardon. Mr Trump and his party remained silent recently when a Democratic senator was manhandled by officers and taken to the ground, just for trying to ask a question during a press conference. And it is Mr Trump and his supporters who repeatedly refer to Democrats, along with journalists, certain judges, and all undocumented immigrants, as "the enemy."

Again, I am in no way claiming that words alone lead to violence. We all know the old saying from our childhood that claims, "sticks and stones/may break my bones/but names will never hurt me." But in a culture that glorifies being tough, where so many people have easy access to weapons, and where an entire social media ecosystem is devoted to generating anger and outrage at "the other," often by distorting and misrepresenting what is actually happening, that childhood saying may be out of date. If you are immersed in hateful words, hateful images, and hateful media messages, the end result is hatred and distrust, and that could absolutely end up hurting some innocent person, as we have already seen.  

On Saturday afternoon, millions of Americans, in red states and blue states, came out to express their love for the constitution and their support for our democracy. Nearly all of the "No Kings" protests were peaceful, as demonstrators sought to remind Mr Trump that he is not a monarch. It was an impressive example of the importance of the First Amendment, and it gave me a reason for optimism. But now, as the president once again returns to his familiar tactics of intimidation and demonization, it is worth remembering the powerful message so many of us sent: we will continue to defend our democracy. We will stand up against the hate and speak out against the madness. We are not "the enemy." Rather, we are people from all walks of life who want to see America be America again-- a country not ruled by corruption and tyranny, but by compassion and ethics. And we will not be silent. And we are not going away.

Words and Expectations

As many of you know, I'm the advocate and medical guardian for an adult with autism. I've been helping to take care of him, and standing up for his rights, since he came into my life in the summer of 1984. His name is Jeff, and he also has significant developmental delays; back in the 1950s and 1960s, kids like him were labeled "mentally retarded," a phrase I've always hated. (Another phrase from that era was "feeble-minded," and it too created a set of low expectations.) As a professor of communication, I have often discussed with my students the danger of these kinds of labels-- the words society uses when talking about "the other" often reflect how those folks are treated. And let me tell you, there is ample evidence that kids who had the "retarded" label were seldom treated well. 

Back when Jeff was growing up, the common wisdom was that "those kids" couldn't learn. Some did manage to get put into Special Ed. classes, and thanks to dedicated teachers, they were able to thrive in spite of society's inaccurate judgments of their abilities. But all too many were put into institutions. Parents were encouraged to do this, in fact, and they were told it was for the best. After all, these were supposed to be schools, places where their kids could get the help and attention they needed. But while most of these places had benign-sounding names, what they really were was institutions, many with draconian conditions. 

Today, thanks to dogged investigative reporting, and class action law suits, we finally know what went on in some of those "schools"-- and I promise you, it wasn't learning. It was often punishment. And in some cases, it was abuse-- both verbal and physical. (If you think I am exaggerating or being dramatic, I recommend an award-winning 2004 book, also the subject of a segment on 60 Minutes, called The State Boys Rebellion, by Michael D'Antonio. Jeff isn't in the book, but he certainly was at the institution where the book took place. And to this day, he still recites for me some of what was said, and done, to him there.)

When I met Jeff (a long story, better told some other day), he barely spoke. He communicated by various vocalizations that sounded like animal noises. He often screamed, or hit himself. He seemed traumatized, but he couldn't tell me, because he lacked the vocabulary. I don't know why he was put into my life, but I've always believed it was supposed to happen. I was told by all the "experts" that I was wasting my time working with him. I was told about his diagnosis. I was told that someone like me, a rock and roll deejay, lacked the skills to help. But I knew I was supposed to be there. And I promised him I would be there for him, no matter what. It's a promise I've kept, along with my husband, for more than four decades.

And one day, he made eye contact with me and said, "I love you, Donna." And one day, gradually, his verbal skills began to improve. To make a long story short, he has far exceeded what everyone told me he'd be able to do. Today, he has more than 350 words in his vocabulary. He can read and write (although his understanding is probably that of a 5 or 6 year old, at least he is able to do it). If he knows you, he will greet you by name. But despite all the progress he has made, and the caring team that has helped to get him there, there is so much he cannot tell us. He lives in a world where he's still a little kid, and still living at home. Much of what he says is echolalic-- he repeats what others have said to him. But he never forgets what happened at the institution. If I'm even driving in that area, his body will stiffen up and he will say, "You don't live there anymore?" And I have to reassure him that he is never going back there.

Jeff's biological mom passed away the other day. It has been years since he saw her, and I probably won't tell him. Jeff doesn't understand abstract concepts like death. He lives in the "now," and he lives in his childhood memories. I think it's kinder to let him stay there, where his mom and dad are still around, and he loves to eat dinner with the family, and he loves visiting grandma, and he loves listening to music, and at night, there's someone to sing him a lullaby. And yes, he knows he used to scream sometimes and act out, but back then, nobody understood autism or developmental delays. Today, I think his story might have turned out very differently. But at least he's still alive and well, still able to learn, a loving human being who proves every day that the labels applied to him underestimated who he is... and who he has always been. 

The Things We're Not Supposed to Say

I was disappointed, but not surprised, to hear that Sarah Inama has decided to resign from her job as a sixth grade teacher in the West Ada School District, near Boise, Idaho. By all accounts, she was a good teacher and her students liked her; but the school board and her principal did not, because of the poster she had put up in her classroom. She was told the poster was "controversial" and "an opinion," and would be offensive to those who disagreed with it. And she was ordered to take it down. (The poster showed various colored hands, with hearts in the center of each one. It read: "Everyone Is Welcome Here.") 

At first, she complied, although she couldn't understand what was controversial about a message that she loved her students, no matter their race or their ethnic background. But many school boards, especially in conservative states, have passed rules against "divisive concepts." These rules prohibit certain subjects from being discussed in school, certain books from being read, and evidently, certain posters from being put up in a classroom.  

The more she thought about it, Sarah believed there was nothing "divisive" or "controversial" about the poster, so she took a stand, and put it back up. It didn't take long before she was given an ultimatum about removing it. So, she told a local reporter about her dilemma, and he did a story about it. Soon, many people (both locally and in other states) were rallying behind her. They too were mystified by what was wrong with teaching tolerance; and they let the school board know how they felt. But in the end, despite the many parents and students who applauded and defended her, the policy stood, as did the ultimatum. And so, she decided to leave, unwilling to remain in a school district where it was "controversial" to tell students they were welcome.

But this seems to be where we are now. Teachers are being demonized (and sometimes penalized) if they even mention topics that have been defined as "divisive." By the way, it isn't clear to me how these decisions were made-- divisive by whose standards? Most of the laws and rules these days seem to be  promoted by conservative politicians who have a specific agenda-- ban anything they perceive to be "woke" (whatever that means). The end result has been policies that stifle freedom of speech in the classroom, even at the college level. And decisions from the President and members of his cabinet have even led to books being removed from libraries, and librarians being fired. And for what? 

As an educator, I fail to see the harm in students reading books that have a wide range of viewpoints. I fail to see the harm in teaching history in an accurate and factual manner, discussing both the good and the bad about our country. It's my belief that the best educators are the ones who encourage critical thinking, helping students to understand controversial issues, not pretending such issues don't exist. I hope Sarah Inama find a new job in a district that isn't afraid of diversity. And I hope the many teachers and professors who have felt demeaned by our current political climate will soon get a reprieve. It's a sad state of affairs when a teacher can't even decorate a classroom to let students know they are welcome. Or is the real message our leaders are promoting that only some people are welcome... while others are not?

What I Didn't Do

I was talking to an old friend of mine from the music industry the other day. We've kept in touch over the years, ever since the days when he was a record promoter and I was a music director. As we took a trip down memory lane, we kept coming back to how much radio and the record biz have changed, and we remarked upon all the people we knew back then who are no longer here. 

The conversation brought back a lot of memories. I remember that so many of the people we knew in the '70s and '80s were heavily into partying. In fact, I remember being offered just about every kind of illegal substance imaginable-- and being ostracized by certain people because I didn't do any of those things. I think I'm one of the only people I know who got fired from a radio station for not getting high. The folks at one of the stations where I worked said I was standoffish, and I just didn't fit in; and that was the end of my time working there. 

It was a recurring pattern-- I didn't always get fired, of course; but a lot of my colleagues really disliked me, because I was so different from everyone else. I probably seemed like I was being judgmental of them or thought I was better than they were. But the truth was I just felt awkward and out of place; I didn't come from a world where drug use was the norm. Plus, as one of the few women working in rock & roll radio, I wanted to make a positive impression and not do anything foolish. It was a great time to be in radio: I loved playing the hits, I loved breaking new bands, I loved going to concerts, I loved meeting the fans. But the rest of it-- the parties especially-- just felt uncomfortable, and I didn't know what to do. So I mostly kept to myself. 

Fortunately, many of the record promoters were kind to me; agreed, they were doing it for a reason-- they wanted to get their records played, and it was in their best interest to humor me. But a few seemed to like me for who I was, and those are the ones I still talk to, even 40 years later. Meanwhile, I was disappointed, but not surprised, when I found out that some of the folks I had worked with said (and wrote) some very unkind stuff about me. Perhaps if I had been more like everyone else, folks might have had a more favorable view of me. But I couldn't do it. And while I don't regret being myself, I understand what it cost me.  

What helped me get through those times was my friendship with Rush. They never mocked the fact that I didn't drink or smoke or do drugs; nor did anyone in their management or at their record company. The folks in the Rush universe always treated me with courtesy. Five decades later, they still do. The same was true for a few other musicians that I met along the way (Bruce Springsteen comes to mind). But when I think back on the places I worked, more often than not, I didn't make many friends.

Today, I still have a lot of great memories about my time in broadcasting, and I still miss being on the air. Attitudes have changed-- it's no longer considered weird to avoid drugs and alcohol, and many folks prefer a healthier lifestyle. In spite of not being especially popular with most of my colleagues, the listeners seemed to like me, and some of the happiest days of my life were spent as a deejay. But even now, when I think back on those days, I remember how lonely I often felt. And I wish I could have found a way to fit in, without having to compromise who I was...