Of Alberto Cossu

Source: Vita
False polarizations
Prestigious national and international newspapers present themselves to the public as the guardians of democracy and freedom of the press. They attack the producers of fake news in both print and digital media and assert that their behavior is execrable because it destroys the essence of democracy. They represent the reality of the mass media as divided between those who are intent on fabricating false stories, and those who, Instead, they are moved only by strong moral principles and immune from this vice. Their editorialists and journalists report political facts with extraordinary objectivity and woe to anyone who tries to question this fact. The media lynching follows, which ranges from the accusation of attacking the freedom of the press to the classic one of being a fascist and if the unfortunate person does not resign himself and insists he is addressed as a neo-Nazi. The media tribunal works and is very efficient and does not spare anyone who has the courage to raise their voice above the chorus. But things are not as the masters of communication want us to believe.
The Juncker case
A striking case was offered at the NATO summit in Brussels. In the aftermath of the meeting, various traditional and digital media spread images of President Juncker who, pretty beat up, appears staggering at the closing ceremony of the Summit. He has difficulty climbing the two steps of the main box, when he manages to do so he kisses, staggering, everyone who is within earshot of him and exchanges slightly excessive affectionateness which is certainly not foreseen in the official protocols.
The short ceremony is over, the scene repeats itself and Juncker walks away held arm in arm by some of those present, including the secretary of NATO. Then finally the images fade, preventing us from seeing what happened next.
Any spectator, without being a medical graduate or having particular specializations in the field, he would quickly draw his conclusions. Instead, the journalist of a well-known Italian newspaper, reporting the video, was careful to specify that Junker was not well - this was obvious- because he suffered from sciatica – but not this one- Too bad the President wasn't limping but staggering; if this were not enough, the journalist branded as fake news those who defined the President as drunk. †
1024Px Jean Claude Juncker MSC 2018
Right, seeing an EU President in that state is not the best promotion for a Europe that is already reeling, but getting to represent one reality for another is an extreme operation for a newspaper that is considered the most authoritative.
This is just a funny but also sad episode because a certain press is ready to massacre political opponents without forgiving them for the slightest mistake, Instead, when it comes to condemning behavior involving people who enjoy "media protection" then either remain silent, or look for unlikely and ridiculous justifications such as "Juncker was out of shape" or "he was staggering due to a health problem".
This behavior of the media which brazenly covers up or poorly justifies the behavior of their "media protégés" is constantly repeated. As, the main critics of the use of fake news turn into the major producers. And this is not a secondary issue. In fact we are talking about media of national and international importance, for the media power they have, to heavily influence public opinion. We are now in an era in which if you do not enjoy the protection of a media godfather, who, when necessary, knows how to use the tools of the trade as true weapons of mass destruction, you risk being crucified even for insignificant facts just because you are not on the same political side or in the same interest group. Some might smile at these words and slyly say that these are the rules of the game. If you don't have media strength you are destined to lead a sad fate. Media arrogance has, Indeed, reached a point of no return, threatening the foundations of democracy. But the paradox is that those who attack democracy are precisely those who say they want to save it from bad communication and fake news.