Okay, friends, let’s talk. We’ve all been there. Scrolling through our feeds, bombarded by headlines screaming about the latest outrage, the biggest scandal, the thing that’s going to change everything. But how often do we stop and ask ourselves, ‘Is this news true?’
I touched on this in a previous post about the American news media and their apparent inability to report anything anymore. (You can check it out here:). But something happened recently that just solidified my frustration and, frankly, left me shaking my head in disbelief.
It all started with a report that appeared in a well-known publication. The headline practically screamed: “VA Hospitals to Refuse Treatment to Unmarried Veterans and Democrats Under Trump Executive Order!” Can you even imagine the uproar this caused? I mean, it sounds absolutely bonkers, right?
The source? Anonymous, naturally. The reporter claimed they couldn’t share the “source documents” because, wait for it, it would compromise their sources. So basically, we’re expected to swallow this wild claim based on the say-so of someone hiding in the shadows. Come on!
Now, maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but isn’t there supposed to be, like, a verification process before you lob a grenade like that into the news cycle? Is fact-checking a lost art? Have we completely abandoned the pursuit of truth in favor of clicks and outrage?
Thankfully, the VA stepped up and issued a blanket denial of the entire report. And I mean, a complete denial. Let me break it down for you, because the sheer audacity of the original claims is just mind-boggling:
The Allegation: “Doctors at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals nationwide could refuse to treat unmarried veterans and Democrats under new hospital guidelines imposed following an executive order by Donald Trump.”
The VA’s Response: “False. Federal law prohibits that, and VA will always follow federal law. All eligible Veterans will always be welcome at VA and will always receive the benefits and services they’ve earned under the law.”
Okay, so far, so good. But wait, there’s more!
The Allegation: “But individual workers are now free to decline to care for patients based on personal characteristics not explicitly prohibited by federal law.”
The VA’s Response: “False. Federal law prohibits that, and VA will always follow federal law.”
Are you sensing a theme here? Let’s keep going.
The Allegation: “Doctors and other medical staff can also be barred from working at VA hospitals based on their marital status, political party affiliation or union activity, documents reviewed by the Guardian show.”
The VA’s Response: “False. Federal law prohibits that, and VA will always follow federal law.”
Seriously, they’re just throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, aren’t they?
The Allegation: “Similarly, the bylaw on ‘decisions regarding medical staff membership’ no longer forbids VA hospitals from discriminating against candidates for staff positions based on national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, membership in a labor organization or ‘lawful political party affiliation’.”
The VA’s Response: “False. Federal law prohibits that, and VA will always follow federal law.”
I’m starting to feel like I’m in a “Whac-A-Mole” game of misinformation.
The Allegation: “Under the new policy, some may have to register at a hospital in another region and travel more than a hundred miles to see a doctor.”
The VA’s Response: “False. Federal law prohibits that, and VA will always follow federal law. All eligible Veterans will always be welcome at VA and will always receive the benefits and services they’ve earned under the law.”
To recap, a major news outlet published a story based on anonymous sources claiming that the VA was about to implement policies that were not only discriminatory but also, according to the VA, explicitly illegal. The entire thing was shot down in flames.
My question is: what gives? Seriously, what is going on with our news sources?
Is this just a cynical attempt to grab eyeballs with sensational headlines? Is it about pushing a particular agenda, regardless of the facts? Is it simply a race to be the first to “break” a story, even if that story is completely fabricated?
I mean, think about the damage this kind of reporting can do. It sows distrust in our institutions, it fuels division, and it preys on our anxieties. And for what? So, someone can get more clicks?
And here’s the thing that gets me: it disrespects our veterans. To even suggest that they would be denied care based on their marital status or political affiliation is appalling. These are people who served our country, and they deserve better than to be used as pawns in some political game.
So, what do we do about it? How do we hold our news sources accountable?
I think it starts with demanding better. We need to be more critical consumers of news. We need to question everything. We need to look for multiple sources and compare their reporting. We must be cautious of anonymous sources and sensational headlines. And most importantly, we need to be willing to call out blatant misinformation when we see it.
As a society, we need to demand accuracy, transparency, and responsibility from those who are supposed to inform us. We need to remind them that their job is to report the news, not to create it.
Perhaps I’m being naive, but I still believe in the power of journalism to inform, educate, and hold those in power accountable. But that power is only effective when it’s wielded responsibly and with a commitment to the truth.
So, what do you think? Am I off base here? Is this just the new normal? Are we doomed to be forever drowning in a sea of misinformation? Or can we, as consumers of news, actually make a difference and demand better from our news sources?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. I’m genuinely curious to hear what you all think. And maybe, just maybe, if enough of us speak up, we can start to turn the tide and bring back a little sanity to the news cycle.