TOM COLE: HI IM TOM COLE AND WELCOME TO FOUR CORNERS ON WGTE PUBLIC MEDIA.

WHERE WE DISCUSS TOPICS AND ISSUES TO DISCOVER OUR CONNECTIONS.

WE HAVE A GREAT SHOW FOR YOU AS WE DISSCUSS THE AMERICAN NEWS MEDIA WITH FOUR OUTSTANDING NEWS JOURNALISTS.

WE ARE GOING TO SEARCH OUT DISECT AND ANALYZE WHAT IS THE STATE OF MEDIA TODAY.

THANKS FOR JOINING US ON FOUR CORNERS.

(MUSIC) (MUSIC) (MUSIC) (MUSIC) (MUSIC) (MUSIC) ANNOUNCER: THIS PRESENTATION IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE TAYLOR AUTOMOTIVE FAMILY, THE MANGO TREE RESTAURANT AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU!

TOM: CERTAINLY AN HONOR AND PRIVELIDGE FOR ME TO WELCOME IN ON FOUR CORNERS MR BILL HORMANN.

A GENTLEMAN THAT ALL OF YOU ARE SO FAMILIAR WITH COMING INTO YOUR LIVING ROOMS FOR THE NEWS A MAN OF INTEGRITY OF HONESTY, AUTHENTICITY YOU BUILT A GREAT CAREER IN BROADCASTING AND WE ARE SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU ON FOUR CORNERS BILL.

BILL: TOM I AM JUST PLEASED YOU ASKED ME TO COME ON BOARD AND TALK ABOUT TODAY'S SUBJECT.

TOM: WHATS YOUR VIEW, WHATS YOUR STATE OF THE MEDIA TODAY IN OUR COUNTRY?

BILL: I THINK RIGHT NOW IN GENERAL THE STATE OF THE MEDIA IS IN DECLINE BUT WE ARE SEEING SOME RENEWAL IN SOME NEW AVENUES FOR INSTANCE YOU GO OLD SCHOOL YOU GO RADIO TV YOU GO NEWSPAPERS.

VIEWERSHIP LISTENERSHIP IS DOWN ACROSS THE BOARD NOW THERE ARE REASONS FOR THAT SOME GOOD SOME BAD.

UMM IF YOU LOOK AT THE SURGE OF CABLE TV THATS PART OF THE REASON WE ARE SEEING VIEWERSHIP OF LOCAL TV GO DOWN.

IT IS DOWN 15% BUT PEOPLE ARE GETTING NEWS FROM THE TV MEDIA YOU LOOK AT INTERNET AND BLOGS AND WEBSITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA.

THATS THE RENEWAL I SEE AT THE STATE OF MEDIA BUT ITS COMING WITH IT IS CREATING THE COLLAPSE OF THE OLD TRADITIONAL MEDIA TOM: FACEBOOK IS GREAT IN SO MANY WAYS I MEAN YOU STAY IN TOUCH WITH FRIENDS YOU HAVENT SEEN FOR 30 YEARS YOU KNOW ABOUT THEIR LIFE AND FAMILY.

ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GREAT BUT GETTING NEWS OFF OF FACEBOOK, DO YOU SEE YOU KNOW MORE PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD THERE OR HOW COULD WE EMEILIERATE THAT?

HOW CAN WE FIX THAT?

BILL: WELL IT IS THROUGH OUR OWN VIGULENCE REALLY THAT WE CAN FIX IT IF THERE IS A FIX.

I THINK WE ARE GOING TO COMPOUND THESE ROBLEMS WITH THE AI THAT YOU ARE SUGGESTING AND WE HAVE SEEN EXAMPLES OF IT.

THEY ARE NOT PERFECT EXAMPLES OF WHERE I BELIEVE PRESIDENT OBAMA SOMEBODY HAD FORGED SOMETHING HE WAS TO SAY BY PUTTING A FACE OVER A FACE AS YOU ARE TRYING TO DESCRIBE.

IT.

THAT TECHNOLOGY HAS BECOME GOING TO BECOME MORE PERFECTED AND IT IS GOING TO BE MORE DIFFICULT TO DETECT IT BUT I THINK PEOPLE WILL LEARN THAT LOOK THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WHAT THAT PERSON WOULD SAY.

THERE IS NO CONTEMERANEOUS VERIFICATION OF THAT PARTICULAR EVENT I THINK WE ARE GOING TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH IT BUT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T BOTHER TO CHECK THEY MIGHT BE FOOLED BY SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

IT IS SOMETHING WE DO HAVE TO WATCH OUT AND I THINK IT IS SOMETHING GOOGLE AND FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM AND ALL THESE OTHER ARE TRYING TO COME TO TERMS WITH.

ON THE WAY OUT LAST THING.

WE WILL FINISH ON AN UPNOTE.

POSITIVE THING IN MEDIA TODAY.

EVERYONE CAN TALK ABOUT THROW THE ROCKS, WHATS NOT WORKING.

BUT IN YOUR VISION, IN YOUR LONG EXPERIENCE AND VERY SUCCESSFUL TRACK RECORD IN MEDIA WHAT IS WORKING TODAY.

BILL: 3 THINGS.

ONE IS THE MEDIA REALM IS NOW DIVERSE NOW IN A COUPLE OF WAYS ONE IN WHOM WE HIRE.

WHO WE SEE ON AIR.

THE MANAGERS BEHIND THE SYSTEM.

MORE WOMEN, MORE MINORITIES BEING REPRESENTED.

THAT WAY YOU GET MORE SOCIAL INFLUENCE IN DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND THATS ALWAYS GOOD THAT ALSO LEADS TO A DIVERSITY IN BLOGS AND WEBSITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA.

NOW WE HAVE CABLE TV THATS NEWS AND WEATHER AND SPORTS YOU CAN GET HISTORY AND DOCUMENTARIES.

I MEAN THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES OF MEDIA THATS A POSITIVE.

AND LASTLY IT IS FAR MORE DEMOCRATIC NOW.

TOM COLE CAN GO OUT WITH HIS IPHONE AND RECORD A NEWS EVENT AND ESSENTIALLY REPORT THAT.

NOW THAT COMES WITH COMPLICATIONS.

DO WE TRUST THAT PERSON?

WHAT IS THEIR BIAS?

WHERE THEY ABLE TO RECORD AN EVENT FULLY?

DO WE UNDERSTAND OR DO THEY UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING SO THATS ONE OF THE PITFALLS OF THE CITIZEN JOUNALIST IF YOU WILL.

WE THE CONSUMER HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM IN ORDER TO TRUST THEM NOT ALWAYS WISE TO TRUST THE CITIZEN JOURNAIST BUT IT HAS, MEDIA IS DEMOCRATIZING JOURNALISM A LITTLE BIT FURTHER AND ONE FINAL THING.

YOU HAVE COVERED A LOT OF HIGH SCHOOL SPORTING EVENTS.

NOT EVERYONE CAN GO THERE.

NOT EVERY GAME GETS COVERED.

I'M SEEING NOW WHERE THERE IS A TEMPLATE THAT SOMEONE CAN JUST FILL IN STATISTICS AND PRESS RELEASES WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE WRITTEN ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR GAME SO THERE IS EVEN COMPUTER OR INTELLIGENCE THATS NOT HUMAN REPORTING.

WE ARE GOING TO SEE MORE OF THAT I THINK IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE WE ARE SEEIGN FEWER AND FEWER JOURNALISTS COMING INTO THE INDUSTRY.

TOM: TV STAR, REAL ESTATE STAR.

GREAT FAMILY MAN.

THANK YOU SO MUCH BILL FOR BEING WITH US TODAY ON FOUR CORNERS.

BILL: TOM IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

SOME TIME I WANT TO COME ON AND TALK SPORTS WITH YOU.

AND THAT WOULD BE A GREAT SHOW.

WE WILL DO THAT.

I WILL HOLD YOU TO THAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

IT IS CERTAINLY AN HONOR FOR ME TO WELCOME IN A REMARKABLE JOURNALIST.

A GENTLMAN WHO IS BEEN WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY FLETCHER WORD YOUR LONG AND HISTORIC CAREER.

WITH THE SOJOURNER TRUTH AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY EVERY DAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON FOUR CORNERS.

THANK YOU TOM I APPRECIATE THAT.

TOM: WHAT IS YOU VIEW ON MEDIA TODAY?

FLETCHER: MEDIA IN THIS COUNTRY HAS ALWAYS BEEN PARTISAN IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIG AFFAIR.

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN VOLATILE EVEN AS YOU LOOK BACK AT THE BEGINING OF THE 20TH CENTURY THE 1900S WHEN THE PHRASE YELLOW JOURNALISM CAME INTO EFFECT AND PEOPLE LIKE HEARST TOOK OVER IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DIFFICULT PROFESSION TO BE IN AND IT HAS ALWAYS GENERATED A LOT OF CONTRAVERSY THE DIFFERENCE TODAY IS THAT ITS MAGE HUGE ITS JUST BIG.

ITS EVERYWHERE BECAUSE MEDIA OF ALL SORTS MEDIA HAVE ALL SORTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT FORTH INFORMATION IN A VARIETY OF PLATFORMS VIA TV, AND PRINT AND OF COURSE ON THE INTERNET AND THATS THE REGULAR MEDIA, THE ESTABLISHMENT MEDIA AND THEN YOU HAVE WHAT WE WOULD CALL FOLKS WHO ARENT THE REGULAR MEDIA BUT ANYONE CAN PROCLAIM TO BE PART OF THE MEDIA THESE DAY IT IS HARD TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THEM.

SO YOU HAVE WHEN I WAS GROWING UP WE HAD 3 NETWORKS ON TV AND NOW I DONT KNOW HOW MANY WE HAVE UM...

I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW MANY WE HAVE.

ONE POPS UP EVERYDAY DOESN'T IT SO ITS EVEERYWHERE.

WHAT WE CALLED MEDIA IS EVERYWHERE AND I DON'T KNOW THAT ITS IS MORE CONTRAVERCIAL BUT THERE IS JUST, ITS JUST BIGGER.

TOM: EVERYDAY YOU GO TO THE SITUATION ROOM WITH BREAKINGNEWS AND EVERYDAY CAN'T BE A SITUATION I MEAN AND IF THERE ISN'T A SITUATION TO YOUR POINT FLETCHER YOUR GOING TO KIND OF CREATE A SITUATION.

FLETCHER: LISTEN THAT TAG BREAKING NEWS WHICH BOTH CNNAND MSNBC HAVE THAT BREAKING NEWS, YEAH WE ARE BACK WITH BREAKING NEWS AND THATS THE SAME NEWS THEY BROKE THIS MORNING.

THEY ARE BREAKING THE SAME NEWS ALL DAY TOM: YEAH THATS A REALLY VALID POINT FLETCHER.

FLETCHER WHAT YOU KNOW I ALWAYS TELL THE KIDS I TEACH ABOUT BROADCASTING I TELL THEM IN MEDIA, I THINK WE HAVE THE BEST MEDIA IN THE WORLD, PRINT, TV YOU NAME IT.

YES THERE ARE PROBLEMS BUT IT IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD.

THE JOURNALISTS I HAVE MET IN MY LIFETIE HARD WORKING, DEDICATED, WANT TO GET THE STORY RIGHT, HONEST, UMM BUT WHAT, THAT BEING SAID IN YOUR OPPINION FLETCHER WHAT ISN'T WORKING IN MEDIA TODAY?

IF YOU COULD WAVE A WAND OVER THE WHOLE THING FLETCHER AND TAKE SOME THINGS OUT WHAT WOULD YOU ELIMINATE FROM MEDIA TODAY?

WHAT ISN'T WORKING?

FLETCHEER: WELL I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ELIMINATE YOU KNOWONE OF THE DIFFICULTIES IN UMM MEDIA IS BE THIS PRINT OR TV IS SEPERATING NEWS FROM A OPINION.

AND UMM YOU KNOW THAT HAS BEEN THE FIGHT FOR MOST OF THE 20TH CENTURY IN THE NEWSPAPER BUSINESS YOU KNOW THESE ARE 2 SEPERATE ENTITIES WITHIN 1 BUSINESS ONE NEWSPAPER.

OPINION AND NEWS AND NEVER SHALL THEY MEET.

YOU KNOW THEY ARENT GOING TO HOB KNOB TOGETHER ITS 2 SEPERATE OPERATIONS.

THAT CLEARLY IS NOT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN TV UMMM NEWS AND OPPINION, THERE IS NO FINE LINE BETWEEN THEM YOU KNOW THERE JUST IS NO FINE LINE BETWEEN THEM.

WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT SOMETHING LIKE FOX NEWS AND WE ARE LOOKING AT THE ENTERTAINMENT GUYS AT NIGHT TIME THEY ARE NOT DISINGUISHING BETWEENNEWS AND OPINION YOU KNOW THEY ARE GIVING YOU NEWS AS ENTERTAINMENT OR ENTERTAINMENT AS NEWS DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT.

BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WILL EVER CHANGE BECAUSE AGAIN THERE IS A RATINGS BATTLE THERE ARE SO MANY OF THESE ENTITIES, THE BIG 3 AT NIGHT NOW BIG THREE CABLE NEWS ARE OF COURSE, CNN, FOX AND MSNBC AND THEY ARE JOSTLING BACK AND FORTH THEY NEED THAT ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR AND THEY NEED TO ALWAYS HAVE A BLEND OF OPINION AND NEWS IN ORDER TO CATER TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLEWHO WANT TO HEAR OPINION AND NEWS TOM: FLETCHER THATS SUCH A SALIENT POINT.

SO GLAD YOU MADE IT.

ON THEE WAY OUT FLETCHER UHH WHAT ADVISE WOULD YOU GIVE TO PEOPLE FOR CONSUMING MEDIA TODAY?

HOW YOU TAKE IT IN.

YOU KNOW IS IT MULTIPLE SOURCES?

WHAT ADVISE WOULD YOU GIVE?

TO A PERSON THAT WANTS THE TRUTH WANTS TO KNOW THE CORRECTNESS OF ISSUES WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE THEM TO DO?

FLETCHER: FIRST OF ALL BE WARY OF ANYTHING YOU HEAR WHATEVER THE SOURCE IS BE WARY OF IT AND YOU KNOW USE THE TOOLSWE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL.

WE CAN LOOK THINGS UP.

WE REALLY CAN.

WE CAN LOOK THEM UP INSTANTLY.

YOU CAN PULL YOUR PHONE OUT OF YOUR POCKET AND VERIFY THINGS.

SCAN THROUGH AND SEE WHATS ACCURATE, WHATS NOT ACCURATE.

ITS VERY EASY TO DO THESE THINGS.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO TV AT NIGHTIME AND ASSUME WHATEVER YOU HEAR IS GOING TO BE TRUE.

YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO RESOURCE.

NOW THERE ARE LOTS OF RESOURCES MAYBE TOO... YOU KNOW MAYBE TOO MANY IS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE BUT AGAIN YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO REACH OUT AND YOU KNOW AS AS RONALD REAGAN ONCE SAID TRUST BUT VERIFY.

TOM: RIGHT THATS A.. FLETCHER THAT IS A GREAT STATEMENT FOR US TO GO OUT ON.

I LOVE THAT.

FLETCHER IT REALLY WAS SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON FOUR CORNERS AND WGTE PUBLIC TV AND I WANT TO COMMEND YOU ONA LIFE'S WORK IN PRINT JOURNALSIM OF SEEKING THE TRUTH OF TELLING THE TRUTH AND REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

IT WAS REALLY AN HONOR TO CHAT WITH YOU THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FLETCHER.

FLETCHER: TOM ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO SPEAK WITH YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TALKING TO ME.

TOM:TAKE CARE.

CERTAINLY AN HONOR AND PRIVLEGE TO WELCOME IN AN EXTREMELY TALENTED YOU NG LADY MARY HELEN DARAH WHO IS THE SENIOR EDITOR FOR THE SYLVANIA ADVANTAGE.

SHES BEEN INVOLVED IN SO MANY FORMS OF MEDIA.

PUBLISHED AUTHOR VIDEO QUEEN ON YOUTUBE.

YOU DO ALL YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS.

BEEN ON CHANNEL 13 YOU KNOW, REALLY MH YOUVE EXPERIENCED MEDIA IN ALL FORMS AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON WITH YOUR SPECIFIC TALENTS.

THAT LEADS ME TO THE FIRST THING I WANT TO ASK YOU ON FOUR CORNERS AND THAT IS MH WITH YOUR EXPERIENCES IN MEDIA SO MANY A MYRIAD OF THEM.

WHAT IS THE STATE OF MEDIA TODAY?

WHAT IS YOUR FEELING BECAUSE YOU HAVE HAD YOUR TOE IN ALL THOSE MEDIA WATERS.

WHATS YOUR FEELING ABOUT MEDIA TODAY?

Mh: OH THERE ARE SO MANY WORDS THAT COME TO MIND.

CONFLICTED, DIVIDED I COULD KEEP GOING.

I WANT TO SHARE, I HAD THE PRIVELEGE AND HONOR OF INTERVIEWING GORDON WARD AND I ASKED HIM A VERY SIMILAR QUESTION AND HE SAID YOU KNOW BACK IN THE DAY WE NEVER WERE PERMITED TO LET OUR PERSONAL OPINION GET IN THE WAY OF THE FACTS.

AND HE SAID YOU CHASE YOUR NEWS VENUE BY WHO YOU TRUSTED THE MOST TO GIVE YOU THE FACTS.

IT WASN'T THERE VERSION OF THE FACTS, IT WAS JUST THE FACTS.

AND NOW HE SAID IT SEEMS AS IF YOU HAVE TO PICK YOUR NEWS VENUE BASED ON YOUR OPINION.

AND I BELIEVE THATS TRUE I THINK ITS WE HAVE GOTTEN AWAY FROM THIS IS WHATS FACTUAL THIS IS WHATS GOING ON AND I THINK THINGS HAVE BEEN SLANTED TO WHATEVER OPINION YOU WANT TO FOLLOW AND GOTTEN AWAY FROM JUST THAT AS HE SAID BACK IN THE DAY AND I THINK THATS A SAD STATE IT REALLY IS.

I THINK TO ITS WE ARENT LISTENING.

WE ARE JUST NOT LISTENING TO ONE ANOTHER AND WE ARE NOT IT SEEMS AS IF EVERYONE HAS A REPLY BEFORE THEY REALLY ABSORB WHAT THE OTHER PERSON OPINION IS AND THIS COUNTRY IS ABSOLUTLY FABULOUS AND BUILT ON CHECK'S AND BALANCES AND I REALLY THINK THAT IS SAD WE HAVE GOTTEN AWAY FROM THAT.

AND I AM UMM... ITS A SAD STATE I BELIEVE.

TOM: MH IT IS INTERESTING TO ME, I HAVE WORKED WITH YOU ON SO MANY STORIES AND YOU ARE ALWAYS SO HARD WORKING, INTEGRITY BASED AND HONEST.

YOU WANT TO GET THE FACTS RIGHT.

YOU WANT TO GET EVERYONE RIGHT ABOUT THE STORY.

AND I THINK THAT IS A SNAPSHOT OF JOURNALISTS IN GENERAL I THINK MEDIA GETS A TERRIBLE WRAP TODAY ALL THE JOURNALISTS I HAVE KNOW IN MY LIFE ON TV RADI PRINT AND I HAVE KNOWN A LOT OF THEM IN 30 PLUS YEARS OF DOING THIS AND THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THEM FIT IN YOUR CATEGORY OF HONEST HARD WORKING INTEGRITY AND WANT TO GET IT RIGHT.

IS THAT YOUR BELIEF ALSO?

MH: OH ABSOLUTLY!

AND YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LOCALLY THEY ARE JUST AMAZING.

WE HAVE SUCH GREAT LOCAL TALENT AND MY DEAR FRIEND CHRYS PETERSON JUST IS THE TOTAL SHE ..

I REMEMBER WHEN SHE RETIRED, SHE SAID OH I AM SO EXCITED I CAN FINALLY PUT A SYLVANIA SCHOOL SIGN IN MY YARD AND A METROPARKS SIGN AND YOU KNOW SHE WE WOULD SAY WE HAVE TO BE SWITZERLAND, HAVE TO BE NEUTRALIY AND I THINK OUR LOCAL TALENT HERE OUR LOCAL MEDIA DO SUCH A GREAT JOB OF TRYING TO GET IT RIGHT AND I THINK YOUR RIGHT.

I WAS SPEAKING MORE OF A NATIONAL LEVEL AS FAR AS PICKING YOUR NEWS NATIONALLY AS FAR AS WHAT YOU WANT BUT I MEAN AS FAR AS JUST YOUR DAY TO DAY WHATS GOING ON, ESPECIALLY OUR LOCAL PEOPLE HERE ARE JUST DOING A PHENOMINAL JOB AND ONE THING I ALSO NOTICED LOCALLY WHICH I SO APPRECIATE IS I THINK A LOT OF JOURNALISTS ARE GOING AFTER THOSE HUMAN INTEREST STORIES SO YEAH WE HAVE SO MANY OK WE HAVE KILLER HORNETS TODAY AND A DUST STORM AND MORE PANDEMIC, THE NUMBERS AND NOW WE HAVE THIS NEW STRAIN AND I THINK THEY ARE REALLY TRYING TO ALSO GIVE US A LOT OF HOPE AND THEY ARE SHARING STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ORDINARY INDIVIDUALS DOING EXTRAORDINARY THINGS AND THAT HAS BEEN GREATLY APPRECIATED DURING THIS TIME.

TOM: YEAH THATS A VERY INTERESTING POINT THE STEVE HERTMAN THING.

THOSE LITTLE VIGNETTES THAT HE DOES AROUND THE COUNTRY THOSE MH: I WAIT FOR THOSE.

TOM: THEY ARE UPLIFTING AND GOOD FOR THE SOUL THEY ARE GOOD FOR THE HEART AND YOU HIT A HOME RUN THERE MH IT IS REALLY WHAT AMERICA IS ALL ABOUT.

AMERICA IS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT HOPE YOU KNOW WE ARE NOT PERFECT BUT WE DELIVER HOPE.

IF YOU WORK HARD AND TRY AND YOU TRY TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS YOU KNOW EVENTUALLY THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT WORK OUT REALLY WELL FOR YOU.

SO WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY HOPE THEN IN AMERICA ITS NOT THE SAME COUNTRY.

MH: WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE HOPE NO MATTER HOW FRAGILE IT SEEMS AT TIMES.

I THINK WE ARE JUST, IT IS HARD WIRED TOM: IT IS PART OF OUR DNA ISNT IT?

IT REALLY IS.

MH: I AM VERY HOPEFUL FOR THE MEDIA TOO I REALLY AM.

I THINK HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL REALLY ATTENTIVELY LISTEN.

AND GET, AND SEE THE OTHER PERSON'S POINT OF VIEW AND YOU MAY NOT CHANGE YOUR OPINION IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM BUT AT LEAST THE OTHER PERSON IS BEING HEARD AND I THINKTHATS GOING TO BE HAPENING AND I JUST HAVE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH THESE STORIES OF HOPE AND STRENGTH AND PEOPLEBEING THERE IN THE MEDIA DURING THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.

TOM: YOU KNOW THATS AN INTERESTING STATEMENT BECAUSE IT TOOK ME TO SOMETHING ELSE I DIDNT TELL YOU I WAS GOING TO ASK BUT YOUR SO GOOD IM GOING TO ASK YOU ANYWAYS.

YOU KEPT HITTING ON IT IS A RESPECT THING.

RESPECTING ONE ANOTHER AND I THINK IN MEDIA YOU RESPECT THE PEOPLE YOU WRITE STORIES ABOUT YOU RESPECT WHO THEY ARE WHAT THEY DO AND IT IS NOT PANDERING TO THEM ITS JUST BASIC RESPECT.

AND I THINK I DONT KNOW IF YOU AGREE BUT I THINK IF MEDIA COULD GET MORE TOWARD YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE WITH EVERYONE BUT YOU RESPECT THEM IN THEIR POSITION AND AS YOU SAID LISTEN.

MARY HELEN DARAH THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON FOUR CORNERS AND MORE IMPORTANTLY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO IN OUR COMMUNITY ON A DAILY BASIS.

YOU MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE.

TO BE AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU AND HONORED TO HAVE YOU ON FOUR CORNERS MH: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

AND WE HAVE A GREAT COMMUNITY AND I HOPE THE NEW YEAR WILL BE ONE OF GREAT HEALTH AND STRENGTH AND UNITY AND A MOVE FORWARD INTO AN AMAZING NEW YEAR.

TOM: THANKS SO MUCH MH.

MH: TAKE CARE.

TOM; REALLY WHAT AN HONOR AND PRIVLEGE IT IS TO WELCOME IN CHRYS PETERSON.

CHRYS YOU ARE THE QUEEN OF LOCAL TV IN TOLEDO THE SUPERSTAR NOW IN MEDIA AND PROMEDICA YOU KNOW CHRY WHEN I TEACH MEDIA I AM PRIVLEGED TO TEACH MEDIA AND BROADCASTING AT ADRIAN COLLEGE IN ST JOHNS AND KIDS ALWAYS ASK WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A BROADCASTER AND I GIVE THEM 3 SIMPLE THINGS I SAY BE AUTHENTIC, BE FAIR, AND BE HONEST AND CHRYS YOU HAVE DONE THAT YOUR ENTIRE LIFE ON TV AND I REALLY KNOW HOW HARD THAT IS TO DO AND I COMMEND YOU FOR THAT BODY OF WORK BECAUSE YOU HAVE REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNTIY.

THANK YOU TOM THATS SO NICE OF YOU TO SAY I LOVED EVERY SINGLE INUTE OF WORKING IN TV NEWS.

WITH YOUR KEEN EYE AND CLEAR EYE ON MEDIA.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE STATE OF MEDIA TODAY.

WHERE ARE WE AT CHRYS?

CHRYS: SO THATS SUCH A GREAT QUESTION.

I THINK WE ARE AT A MOMENT OF OPPORTUNITY ACTUALLY FOR MEDIA IN MANY WAYS WHEN THE INTERNET HAPPENED AND SOCIAL MEDIA STARTED THATS A WHOLE DIFFERENT ANIMAL OF MEDIA AND PODCASTERS AND YOU KNOW WEBSITES ANYBODY CAN HAVE ONE AND SO ITS REALLY INCUMBENT UPON THE NEWS CONSUMER TO BE ABLE TO VET THOSE SOURCES AND INVESTIGATE THOSE SOURCES WHERE THEY ARE GETTING THEIR NEWS SO THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE HEARING AND WHAT THEY ARE GETTING IS INDEED NEWS AND NOT OPINION BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF OPINIONS RIGHT?

WE HAVE UM A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST ABLE TO GIVE AN OPINION AT ANY TIME AND SO I THINK ITS REALLY INCUMBENT UPON OUR NEWS OUR NEWS SOURCES ESPECIALLY UHH LOCAL NEWS, OUR NATIONAL NEWS SOURCES TO BE VERY CAREFUL AND EXTRA DILLIGENT ABOUT THE HONESTY THEY ARE REPORTING WITH ABOUT THE TRUTH AND INVESTIGATION THAT THEY DO AND I THINK WE HAVE GREAT RESOURCES FOR THAT HERE IN OUR COUNTRY.

TOM: I TELL MY KIDS IN CLASS AND COLLEGE THEY HOW YOU TAKE IN THE NEWS IS I THINK IMPORTANT AND YOU ALLUDED TO THAT THATS WHAT BROUGHT ME TO THIS QUESTION.

HOW YOU CONSUME YOUR NEWS.

AND I WOULD ASK THE KIDS IN CLASS, AND I NEVER GIVE AN OPINION AS TO WHATS RIGHT OR WRONG, RIGHT OR LEFT, YOU DON'T DO THAT.

BUT IF YOU WANT THE HARD RIGHT HEY GO TO FOX.

IF YOU WANT LEFT ITS MORE MSNBC AND CNN AND ABC NBC CBS ARE DOWN THE MIDDLE PRETTY MUCH.

DO YOU BELIEVE PEOPLE HAVE TO BE AWARE OF THAT FOR EXAMPLE ON CABLE A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE ARE BEING PAID TO GIVE A PARTICULAR OPINION.

IT IS NOT THAT THEY NECCESARILY BELIEVE IT THEY ARE PAID TO DO THAT.

DO YOU THINK THAT CAN BE A PROBLEM?

CHRYS: I THINK IT IS A GROWING PROBLEM AND THERE IS A GROWING PHENOMINON GOING ON IN OUR COUNTRY RIGHT NOW CALLED CONFIRMATION BIAS WHERE YOU SEEK OUT THOSE NEWS SOURCES THAT BASICALLY CONFIRM WHAT YOU ALREADY BELIEVE OR FEEL.

NOT THAT THEY ARE GIVING FACTS IT IS YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE LISTENING TO THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE GIVING YOU INFORMATION YOU WANT TO HEAR.

AND WHAT I SAY THATS DANGEROUS FOR ONE THING BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO BE WATCHING THOSE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND WHAT WE HAVE COME TO BELIEVE ARE UNBIASED AS UNBAISED AS POSSIBLE SOURCES YOU KNOW ON WGTE PBS NEWSHOUR IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES NPR NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO AND AGAIN A GREAT SOURCE FOR NEWS.

ABC, NBC, CBS BUT YOU ARE RIGHT PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTENING TO ONLY THIS ARE GETTING KIND OF AN ALTERNATE REALITY OF WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY WHICH CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS SO YOU DO HAVE TO VET TGHOSE NEWS SOURCES.

YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ARE DIGESTING NEWS AND THE HONEST HAS BECOME A LOT MORE ON THE CONSUMER THESE DAYS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE OF THAT.

I WOULD NOT GO TO THE DOCTOR, I DON'T WANT THE DOCTOR TO TELL ME SOMETHING IS WRONG BUT I CAN'T FIX IT IF HE DOESN'T TELL ME THE TRUTH RIGHT?

SO ITS THE SAME THING WITH YOUR NEWS.

YOU CAN LISTEN TO WHAT YOU WANT TO HERE ON ONE, YOU KNOW THE RIGHT OR LEFT BUT YOU KNOW TO BE ABLE TO REALLY MAKE CRITICAL DECISIONS AND TO THINK ABOUT WHATS ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, NATIONAL COMMUNITY, AND OUR WORLD YOU HAVE TO SEE THAT MIDDLE PRESENTATION SOMEHOW AND BE ABLE TO DISCERN THAT ANDTHINK ABOUT WHATS HAPPENING.

CHRYS THAT SO VERY WELL SAID.

THATS WHY I AM PROUD TO BE ON WGTE THEY DO THAT SO VERY WELL ON PUBLIC TV.

CHRYS YOU HAVE CONFIRMED TO ME WHICH I ALREADY KNEW THAT YOU ARE STILL THE QUEEN OF TV IN TOLEDO AND THANK YOU SO MUCH CHRYS FOR BEING ON FOUR CORNERS TODAY.

CHRYS: THANKS TOM, MY PLEASURE.

THANK YOU.

TOM: BYE CHRYS.

WE ARE CERTAINLY AWARE THAT 30 MINUTES IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO SOLVE ALL OUR AMERICAN MEDIA QUESTIONS THAT WERE RAISED ON FOUR CORNERS TODAY.

BUT ALL OUR VERY TALENTED JOURNALISTS AGREED ON 4 AXIUMS THAT EXIST WITH NEWS MEDIA TODAY.

AND HERE ARE THOSE 4 POINTS.

THAT INTERSECT.

FIRST YOU SHOULD SEEK OUT MANY FORMS OF NEWS.

MANY SOURCES, MANY PLATFORMS.

SECOND, UNDERSTAND CLEARLY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NEWS OPPINION AND ENTERTAINMENT.

THIRD UNDERSTAND THE NEWS BUSINESS TODAY IS A MONEY MAKING ENDEVOUR THAT CHANGES THE DELIVERY OF OUR NEWS.

AND FOURTH DEVELOP LISTENING SKILLS.

DON'T JUST LISTEN TO WHAT APPEALS TO YOU.

LISTEN AND WATCH A WIDE RANGE OF NEWS PRESENTATIONS.

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR VERY TALENTED GUESTS TODAY.

CHRYS PETERSON, BILL HORMANN, FLETCHER WORD, AND MARY HELLEN DARAH.

I AM TOM COLE.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

STAY SAFE.

AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL CONNECT AT FOUR CORNERS.

FOUR CORNERS IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE MANGO TREE RESTAURANT.

AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

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