TrueNorth0

I believe "fact-checking" used to be called "journalism." Journalists once researched and reported realities. There was no need for a special news program segment called "Keeping Them Honest" because that was the job of all journalists, all the time. Today most who aren't pundits themselves simply serve as conduits for the political messaging of others. I understand how that's all come about but still...major fail for journalism and for democracy.

The American lust (in some quarters) for bombing Iran is so disturbing. The image of the Iranian people - who are just beautiful - is stained by the insanity of the leadership. But Americans as a whole don't know this - they only know what's fed to them because they just don't travel. Breaks my fucking heart.

You make a very good point that I did not touch on: paying for good journalism is possible today. But it is important that good journalism used to be widely available to the entire electorate at no cost, and now no longer is.

A broadcast license used to obligate the licensee to deliver something of value to the public; they were required play a part in developing that well-informed electorate that is essential to a healthy democracy. News divisions had the budgets required to do that job. They were protected, excluded from the need to generate profits for the corporation. "Entertainment news" did not exist. Celebrities were not part of the news cycle; they were in gossip mags. Public broadcasting was properly funded rather than continually threatened and downgraded. Regulations were in place to ensure competition within markets so that voters had a variety of information sources. Reporters had budgets and time to research, investigate, develop stories. There was no internet compressing the news cycle into meaningless, spastic information pulses.

The history of it all is depressing. Concerning.

I'm a 56 year old woman who would love to make that trip alone on a motorcycle. Do you think I would be subject to arrest simply for traveling alone along your route? (Obviously there are other vulnerabilities, but I'm wondering about the legal question.)