I received an interesting invitation recently: a local school is observing the National Day of Prayer on May 3.

“We will be praying for specific things, and one of those is the news media,” the invitation said.  “We would love for the students to hear from you on how we can specifically pray for your profession.”

The invitation went on to say, “Our students will be praying for our church, school, family, government, and the news media. Our theme is unity.”

(First, before anyone threatens legal action, this is not a public school. It is a Christian school.)

I was extremely flattered to be asked to participate. Let’s face it, when prayers are sent up, one of those five entities is not a frequent flier. I often hear prayer for church, school, family, and government. It isn’t often I hear requests for heavenly wisdom and guidance for NBC, The New York Times, Fox News or CNN.

But now, more than ever, perhaps we media types should be soliciting prayer. 

If you’re expecting me, a lifetime news reader and writer, to brag on how flawless my profession is, you would be wrong.  As proud as I am of good journalism, I also admit some reporters have fallen short, particularly in recent decades.

Journalism has taken an interesting journey to its current place. If you study American history, you know that strong opinions in the media are not new. Two hundred years ago, editorial cartoonists took potshots at presidential candidates, before and after they were elected. Media moguls aligned themselves with powerful politicians, and a negative column in a big-city newspaper could single-handedly sink a national campaign.

Still, the actual news stories seemed to be written by impartial reporters with no slant to their coverage. The same could be said for television news. CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite didn’t earn the nickname, “The most trusted man in America,” because he advocated for a certain viewpoint. It was quite clear that his news stories were “just the facts.” On the occasions in which he offered commentary, that distinction was made early and often. Viewers believed that his wealth of knowledge had earned him the right to offer his opinion when he felt moved to do so.

Cronkite didn’t yell, he didn’t argue and he didn’t threaten anyone. He retired in 1981, about the time 24-hour cable news networks began operating. The media world has never been the same.

Those channels have 168 hours per week to fill, and the cheapest, easiest way to do that is to put a few loudmouths around a table, and let ‘em go at it.

I hadn’t realized how far we had fallen until the 2016 presidential election. I was watching a network report on one of the major candidates, who had just given a speech.The network correspondent called out the candidate for making outlandish promises. Obviously that was the reporter’s opinion, but it wasn’t labeled as such. It was presented as fact, just as if the reporter was covering something that could be proven with our own eyes.

If a car hits a pole, we can state as fact that the pole didn’t jump out and hit the car. But it isn’t a reporter’s job to tell me if a candidate’s plan to increase defense spending is ridiculous. That is commentary, which should be made clear to the viewer. It should not be masquerading as an unbiased news story. 

Amid the accusations of fake news, we must remember that good journalism serves an important role in our nation. It should be encouraged, supported, and yes, even prayed for. The current political divide runs deep, and emotions are high. When government officials urge their audiences to jeer at reporters, treating them like professional wrestlers, that’s not a good look. Too often, reporters who are simply doing their jobs have been the subjects of bullying and violence.

Several elected officials have been caught on camera using physical intimidation to fend off reporters who are asking the hard questions that you want answered.

With a glut of media outlets fiercely competing to get your attention, it is unlikely that we will ever return to the pre-Watergate style of “polite” reporting. Never again will most journalists conspire to shield a president’s physical handicaps (FDR, JFK) or cover up his extramarital affairs (too many to name). Many would call that a good trend.

But an alarming number of Americans choose to get their news from networks that mirror their views. The result is like an echo chamber: only one voice is heard.

I still hold out hope that fair and balanced reporting will make a comeback. So send up a prayer for the media. You may not like us in our current condition, but when you compare us with other countries, I don’t think you would prefer the alternative.

David Carroll is a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based reporter and columnist. His website is ChattanoogaRadioTV.com, and you may contact him at 900 Whitehall Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405 or 3dc@epbfi.com.