There seems to be considerable pressure today to feign delight at the conglomeration of immense organizations and even sectors as a signal of unity. But, while I seem to be in a minority, I continue to wonder.

Just a small number of years ago, the self-styled firewall between journalistic and business departments in the structure of media companies was considered sacrosanct. But, now, it seems borders defining even the peripheries of organizations seem to be treated as barely needful.

Given that so much of our news still comes from not only for-profit, but publicly-traded, corporations changing along these lines (as well as smaller news outlets with whom they are affiliated), I question whether the multitude of human rights problems in media raised over the course of the past several years should have been addressed more fully. This is as, to be in cahoots is not to be in unison, and the question of human equality gets at the heart of the reason America exists in the first place.

On Alignment

While, as mentioned before, I believe fictional programming, when it has prevented lesson-learning from real-life, can be harmful, I still believe there is room to consider good intentions expressed when celebrities have taken time (even when is between making credit card commercials) to attempt to tell other people’s stories. Still, I believe it is more important to emphasize the greater value in these individuals’ fulfillment of their own work.

Like traditional journalism, inspirational, empowering, and helpful fictional work is invaluable. One reason I have personally tuned in to inspirational fiction in recent years has been that it can encourage and uplift so powerfully.

Biographical work is very different in that, as human beings – be they framed as heroes or so-called badguys – their real story lines are found in subjects’ inner lives, innovations, and expressions of love for mankind.

On Redemption

While at CNN, Jordan looked me in the eye the moment he abused my body so awfully.

In healing, I truly felt that it would be helpful to find a way to share proposed solutions impersonally, corporate policy recommendations privately, and then only because I had not felt heard at all, insights based on my individual experience anonymously before, although it certainly had not been my plan or desire, semi-publicly.

But, in impersonally and privately proposing solutions, I felt like a wide receiver ready to catch a long pass only to be tackled brutally by a dwindling opposing team. What was most perplexing about this was the sight of all who I had considered to be teammates, sit idle.

That many news organizations have supported – and even prioritized – concepts of human rights in public in recent months is a major development. Still, a measure of any news organization covering American affairs remains its support for human rights privately; and, just like this man, I believe many today are winning by poor sportsmanship alone – never letting their targets know they even have an opponent.

I am not sure why the idea of equality within news organizations is so controversial and feel it is still important to say so. And to tell the truth about badguys: that they are not known quantities around which the whole world must always tiptoe, but, rather, people like everyone else who simply require – and deserve – civilizational borders.