How can you tell whether a particular journalist, newspaper, website or broadcaster is giving you information that you can rely on?
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts,” said Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a professor, politician and statesman who advised four presidents of both parties.
His statement reminds us that we should seek the facts and base our opinions on them. But that’s not as simple as it seems today, when…
TROY journalism professor Steve Stewart explores the politics behind the U.S. electoral system.
“Elections are rigged,” one of my students said — echoing a word used by Donald Trump, whom she probably would not vote for.
My instinct was to disagree, but on reflection I came to the conclusion that “rigged” is too strong a word, but she has a point.
In several ways, our system makes some…
In my younger and more vulnerable years as a college English teacher, a student in my World Literature class asked why he had to take a General Studies literature course. Up to that time, I thought the truth was self-evident—literature was important in its own right. I gave him the best response that I knew:…
Presidential candidate Donald Trump reminds me of a county commissioner whom I couldn’t resist quoting.
Jerry Steele was a member of the Monroe County Commission when I was editor of the Monroeville newspaper. Commission meetings were usually short and dull (possibly because the decisions had already been made behind closed doors), but Commissioner Steele would…