Watch this. It's short. Less than two minutes.
Take Donald Trump out of the picture for a minute. He simply complicates things sometimes.
The truth is hungry corporate overlords want to control journalists for their own bottom line regardless who is the country's president.
They will sacrifice the truth, cover for their rich buddies and deal in shady shenanigans to line their pockets. It doesn't matter if it is a legendary show like "60 Minutes" or a legacy mainstream media outlet even in a small state like Arkansas.
I know. I've spent my entire career in media. I have two journalism degrees. I've written for some of the biggest publications on the planet. Editors will direct you on what to cover and how to cover it. These days most media oulets simply parrot each other or regurgitate press releases and call it news. Or do whatever it takes to keep getting a paycheck.
When I moved to rural Arkansas, I wanted to create a modern online news outlet for investigative journalism, rural news, Southern culture and essays. I didn’t want to cover everything that other outlets whether those in Little Rock or in your hometown were covering. I wanted to dig deeper, seeking the why and how.
That's exactly why I started South Arkansas Reckoning with Richard Owens who had never been a reporter but has a true talent for investigating and writing.
No corporate overlords or associations with fancy galas can tell us what to cover. We strive for the truth and transparency even when it angers people.
Over the last year many legacy media outlets – not one, but several – have attempted to shut us down in numerous ways or slow our growth. I am not telling you this to play victim. I'm telling you for transparency.
We have fought back with legal representation. That has cost a lot of money. That's why we ask you to subscribe.
We have been public with some of the media entanglements and unable to speak about some others because of pending litigation.
It's been nothing short of hell because we are David fighting Goliaths that do not want us here – out from under their thumb. They do not control the Reckoning.
Let's just be honest. People say they want the truth until we knock on the door asking for the truth or seeking justice for bad business practices by these Goliaths.
But we aren't stopping.
You can help by subscribing to South Arkansas Reckoning.
Truth is truth. It's why I got into journalism decades ago. And why I remain. You can subscribe for only $4 a month for a basic subscription, $6 for more access and $12 for all content including more than 500 stories – a lot of investigative stories – in our archives.
Long ago, newspapers cropped up in communities to report all kinds of news including who visited who on Saturday night. We have social media for that now, but the mission of the media is the same as ever – tell the truth.
Just like with the "60 Minutes" drama, a lot of people simply fear truth these days.
