"Is it Really Breaking News?"
By Capt. Fred Davis
Published: Saturday, September 17, 2016

Does it seem the news media has control of everything?

Breaking news came across every channel on TV a few days ago displaying Hillary Clinton making a foolish statement regarding her opponent’s supporters. She said, “You can put half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables.” Later, after a great amount of outrage, she remarked she regretted saying “half” and that was wrong. The statement was so startling our newspaper selected a cartoon about it to place on last Wednesday’s opinion page. Pretty amusing depiction.

My question is: Why was this breaking news on every news medium? Perhaps to prove the Donald is not the only one suffering from “hoof in mouth” disease and blurting out statements that need immediate retraction.

As the cartoon demonstrated, do we really care?

I know I’ve had enough of this type of breaking news to last me the rest of the year. The media has decided just about everything that occurs is breaking news. How can the same breaking news be repeated over and over on various outlets: TV, radio, press and still be called news? Our current political landscape is providing media opportunities because poor statements are being made daily by each of our political candidates.

As I — wait, there it is blurting out once again, breaking news. Clinton had to be held up at a podium and helped into a vehicle, that some described as a disguised ambulance. Later her doctor announced she was suffering from pneumonia but that should not be too surprising. During much of the campaign she has been viewed choking and coughing, obviously in distress.

I must admit the next breaking news really qualified as such. Donald Trump sincerely offered his concern saying: “I hope she gets well and back on the trail soon. We’ll be seeing her at the debate.” Both of the above breaking news items seemed to give each candidate an opportunity to step back and take a deep breath. Clinton will have a chance to recover her health, along with leave behind her poor comments about Trump’s followers. Trump showed a very different demeanor with his kind well wishes to his opponent.

The truce was brief. Clinton’s camp immediately challenged Trump to provide evidence regarding his health condition which turned into a topic for much media speculation. Hopefully, the debates will go as scheduled and the back-stabbing and name-calling can be seen face to face.

I have been around for many presidential races, none were as offensive, with no let-up to the constant mudslinging. Just think, only a few more weeks — the rolling countdown of days, hours and minutes across the TV screen has already appeared, until the final resolution. Unless a world disaster strikes, what will all the news people do? The networks will reduce their programming to just a couple of reporters and a weather person. That irritating, blinking breaking news icon can just be relegated to part of the evening news.

So if everyone is as tired of seeing only one thing that is falsely labeled as breaking news, turn off the TV and head out to Kinde this weekend for some lively polka dancing. If you don’t dance, just enjoy listening to something much better than the news.

As I see it, if the Polka Fest seems too ambitious for you, take a ride along the lakeshore and enjoy the introduction of 2016’s autumn. It’s early. But as I drive around I see color changes beginning and the lake is beautiful this time of year. Traffic, including the beet trucks, is light. Visit the farmer’s markets along the way or perhaps just a farm stand set up on the highway. The pumpkin crop is already available, yep my favorite holiday is coming soon? According to the stores it’s time to move it along because their Christmas stock is waiting to be put out. Can you believe that?

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