3. Leadership and the Media

Great leaders understand and know how to use the media to fight corruption by bringing truth to the general public. Great leaders such as Katharine Graham (profiled in my book, 25 US G.O.A.T.s: Profiles in Leadership) have demonstrated extraordinary courage, selflessness, and trustworthiness, as well as integrity when they publish the wrongdoings of corrupt people. She put herself, her family, and her media empire at risk in order to bring us the truth of the Watergate scandal. Evil people also understand the media, but they use it to pass off lies as truth. We must examine truth and freedom in journalism in order to understand how the media can be used by both trustworthy leaders and dishonest leaders to further their aims—whether honorable or dishonorable. 

The problem is where “traditional news media” and “new media” have intersected (see chart below). According to AI, news media in general can be understood through the terms traditional news media (before the internet) and new media (after the internet). Both share the word “media”—plural of medium—which are the ways the information is communicated. In a nutshell, social media has contributed significantly to lies, propaganda, and the public’s refusal to recognize and accept facts for what they are. 

Social media as part of the new media is the distinguishing factor between traditional news media and the new media. Oxford Dictionary defines social media as “websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.” Nowhere in this definition are the words truth, responsibility, sources, or accountability because the purpose of social media is to connect people, not to report the news or even any type of factual, objective or verifiable information. We users of social media are not required to be professionally trained, and we are not necessarily experts in any field. 

All of this is wonderfully egalitarian until users post information under the guise of news, that is inaccurate, belligerent, violent, or outright lies. Some social media users are our country’s enemies—think Russia, China, North Korea and Iran—whose purpose is to sow dissent or influence elections in the US. 

The problems compound when social media’s algorithms send us targeted posts based on our consumption. For example, if we love to watch puppy reels, then we will get more reels of puppies, and then some of dogs, horses, and cats. Seems harmless. However, if we consume information that tells us that the earth is flat, then we will see more information that the earth is flat, as well as other extreme “theories.” Applying this algorithm to our consumption of political posts, it’s easy to see how we get fed posts that are increasingly more extreme versions of what we have consumed. We do not get information from all sides or perspectives—only more of the same—giving us the feeling that what we read must be the only truth. Now add AI-created photos or videos as reinforcement, and we believe what we are fed since it agrees with and confirms previous posts, and it reinforces our opinions. (On the rare occasions that we search something to discern the facts, AI gives us a summary. How many of us actually check AI’s sources?) Sometimes we even confuse social media, such as Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest, with traditional news media, blurring our ideas of what is news, misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, fact vs. opinion, and even truth itself.

On the other hand, traditional news media—as opposed to new media/social media—is characterized as verifiable information that is broadcasted on television and radio, or printed in books, newspapers, magazines and billboards. The presentation of information in traditional news media is one way, from the outlet to the consumer, or from a news anchor to a viewer, for example. Integral to traditional news media are journalists, who are trained in writing and presenting facts and who follow a code of ethics of journalism. That is, they are professionals. The purpose of traditional news media is to present facts and investigate stories, including stories of government dysfunction or corruption. It also acts as an intermediary between the people and the government, and it tells us what we as citizens need to know about our country and the world: who, what, where, when, why, how? 

With the advent of the internet, we now have new media/social media, which is only found on the internet, in addition to traditional news media. The presentation, professionalism of the presenter, quality, and purpose of social media posts are different from traditional news media. On social media, the presentation changes from one way to sharing, there is no expertise, professionalism, accountability, or code of ethics on the part of the presenter, and facts are not verified; the purpose can be benign sharing among friends, political persuasion, purposeful spread of hate and conspiracies, theft of our personal data, or even the division and destruction of our country through the spread of disinformation and malinformation created by our enemies. To make matters worse, the post can be completely anonymous so that we cannot hold anyone accountable. When hatred, lies, and violence are shared with thousands or millions of users, and the messages become more extreme due to social media’s algorithms, we are in very serious trouble.

The problems further multiply when we consider what guides or motivates the leaders of not only social media outlets, but also of mainstream traditional news media outlets. Why do they publish/post? For profit? For control of information? Persuasion? Owners—unless they are professional journalists—of some current traditional news outlets do not necessarily subscribe to a code of ethics, nor do they require their writers to be trained journalism professionals. Many articles and stories are even written by AI to save money and post higher profits. Additionally, we have constant editorializing within our traditional news outlets. Newspapers usually use “Editor” or “Opinion” headings, but TV news rarely points out that what its anchors often say are their opinions or perspectives, so should viewers assume that the loudest person is correct? Fox News lost a $787 million lawsuit for intentionally and repeatedly airing stories that Dominion Voting Systems machines were rigged against Trump in the 2020 election (source). Dominion Voting Systems machines were proven to have operated as they were supposed to. Fox News is still in business because they make enough money to cover a $787 million loss, people still believe the “Big Lie,” and people still watch and believe whatever they hear on Fox News. Consider also that the owners of social media platform Twitter/X and traditional news outlet Washington Post can control not only the content but also the AI that contributes some of the content; Elon Musk owns both Twitter/X and Grok AI. Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post and has just invested $72 million into the AI company, Toloka source . Is it any wonder that consumers of information have trouble discerning the truth? 

On top of that, in this current traditional news media, we are presented with someone’s perspective or interpretation in the guise of a factual story. Even when we turn on or read the “news” and expect to hear or read the facts, we find opinions and interpretations of facts—anything to keep us tuned in, to make money off of us or our data, or to persuade us of the presenters’ views. This blurring of news media has caused some people to stop keeping up with current events—to tune out the news —which is understandable, but unacceptable and untenable for a democracy.

As increasingly more traditional news outlets have either been denied access to government, have been sued to nonexistence or ineffectuality, or have been bought by the oligarchy to serve them, we need leaders with good character and integrity who understand and use all types of media to demonstrate to the general public what are verifiable facts and truth. Trustworthiness, honesty, selflessness, and courage are as necessary in our leaders as they are in our traditional news media if we are to survive as a democratic republic. 

We in the general public must also take up the reins in calling out “news” or posts that are incorrect, misleading, violent, or outright lies, no matter if the posts are on social media or from a traditional news outlet. Ask for the source of the information, correct it, and provide your sources, and/or point out the lack of common sense. Set a new standard. (I recently read a post stating that Biden let in 100 million immigrants. I think we would have noticed 100 million more people; there would have been all kinds of shortages and infrastructure problems. The post lacked all common sense. Since the US population was 331 million in 2020 and 343 million in 2025, I think it’s pretty obvious that the post was inaccurate, and I said so, listing my sources for the actual immigration numbers during the Biden administration.) Insist that people verify information before posting it because misinformation and lies quickly become accepted as truth, and evil leaders know this. They throw out lies, repeat them ad nauseum, and the lies become accepted as “alternative” truth. Propaganda is from people who have no respect for the truth, and lies are from people intending harm. Neither of these indicates good character and integrity of the great leaders we so desperately need.