Does anybody really want to read the news anymore?

I was going to make the opening line of this column something like, “Funny how news travels these days.”

Then I thought about it for a bit and decided that no, it really isn’t very funny at all.

When I see how quickly words and pictures travel through cyberspace today, I am more than a bit conflicted about this supposed progress in the information age. Don’t get me wrong; as a journalist of more than 40 years, I still enjoy witnessing live events, organizing facts in a logical manner and reporting them to the public, and the speed of delivery aided by technology is significant.

What I don’t enjoy is the way that messages that once were delivered so clearly are now so clouded.

OK, so when I broke into the newspaper business, you had to wait until the next day to read the details of key events. Newspapers filled in the blanks with details that TV and radio reports didn’t take the time to explain. But in most cases, readers considered it worth the wait.

For the most part, information was passed on only by those who were trained to do so. Judging the news value of an event, knowing what sources to interview and how to do so, and crafting a news article with events properly prioritized were considered talents that were respected by the general public.

Now, anybody with a smart phone can throw a rumor onto the social media wall and see what sticks. Worse yet, they seem to take joy in the mudslinging that follows in the “comments”.

Back in the day, readers could express their opinions about a news article by either calling the newspaper office or writing a letter to the editor. Nowadays, an insulting email, text or Facebook message will do. For critics, taking the time to type out a text or email is more convenient than shouting into the phone, I guess.

Perhaps more significant, it is more anonymous. I get that.

But that’s not what I’m most concerned about. Journalists are trained to have a thick skin, and we know people are going to disagree with how events are portrayed. What bothers the true journalist is the way in which the average reader has lumped us in with everyone who has either a hidden agenda or a desire for attention.

Readers ask why we don’t report certain “events” right away and seem disappointed when we tell them we’re checking the facts first. Apparently, a good story is better than a solid news article, true or not. At Menifee 24/7, we pride ourselves on posting breaking news updates as quickly as possible. However, we will not compromise our principles by speculating on what happened just to beat the next "reporter".

Now I know that journalists are not always the most ethical creatures on earth. I still remember the story from my days as a sports writer, when the Dodgers beat writer from a competing paper said the team was rumored to be making a blockbuster trade for a key player in the league. All the rest of us Dodger beat writers had to ask the Dodger brass for comment, even though we were pretty sure it was a false report.

When the story was debunked, we went to the writer in question and asked him where he heard that rumor. With a grin, he told us he made up the rumor himself, to sell newspapers. “Hey, there was a rumor to report,” he said. “It’s just that I started it.”

This is what I’m up against every day – fortunately, not usually from other journalists. It’s a battle I will continue to wage, and I know all you antagonists out there will leave your nasty comments on this and other threads – comments, whether directed at me or others, that question the credibility of the news report and our qualifications to report it.

It's your choice. You can trust me to report the news accurately, or you can go elsewhere and enjoy the circus that surrounds us. I’ll just keep doing what I do. I guess I don’t know any better.

Doug Spoon is the editor of Menifee 24/7. You may email him at doug.spoon@menifee247.com.