In his June 10 commentary, Publisher/Editor Justin Hinkley took Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio to task for his investigation of media censorship via his Select Sub-Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. In his commentary, Hinkley defends the First Amendment and states that the “First Amendment does not say publishers have to publish all speech” He is correct. He then defends newspapers and social media for reporting only what they wish.

However, what we have seen in the last six to seven years is media protecting the government and the bad actors within government. They do this by reporting only the news that fits their narrative and they report nothing that would dispute that narrative. Social media and the mainstream media (like the Associated Press) have colluded with the government and a political party to hide malfeasance. The First Amendment was intended to be the people’s watchdog, to watch what the government was doing and report that to the people. Today the media works hand in glove with the government to hide government actions and to work against the people.

Hinkley says that if people don’t like what a publisher publishes, or doesn’t publish, they are free to start their own publications. People are also free to not support those media entities through subscriptions, social media use, or television viewing. At various times Hinkley has decried the drop in newspaper circulation and the demise of newspapers throughout the country. When people have had their fill of the propaganda pushed at them, they simply say enough. Newspapers like The Alpena News will eventually have their own “Bud Light” experience, and probably only then will they realize they did it to themselves. But maybe they won’t. They’ll just blame us for being so stupid that we don’t know what’s good for us.

MIKE LEOW,

Rogers City