“I’m wondering if the “news” which is printed is even real or not?
Suppose they are making stuff up routinely and we are assuming that what the media reports is taking place — when in reality, not much is really happening.”
Drive by journalism is a reality; where they print as fact anything the PR people give out.
As a pilot, I spot erroneous information on flying all the time.
Which brings up a point I’m interested in. Before the internet came along, who fact-checked the media? For all those years when Cronkite said, “And that’s the way it is,” was it really so?
The question answers itself, doesn’t it?