Journalism, I want to believe, is a respected vocation and art form. I say art form because to craft an article or a story in a way that engages your reader requires a skill that is honed through years of training and discipline.

Still, there are those who are journalists by trade who aren’t interested in informing the public of something as much as they interested in selling them something. Whether their content is fact or fiction is irrelevant because the bottom line is a receipt as opposed to a service worthy of compensation.

I read things in print and on the internet from time to time that are profane, critical and, worst of all, inaccurate. But because their verbiage is situated on an accessible and, in some cases, a popular platform, their credibility is assumed and despite the lack of footnotes or the presence of sources obviously cited out of context, their work is applauded and even revered.

I don’t have to agree with someone to respect their opinion, but that respect is bestowed only when it’s determined that their rhetoric is informed and not merely emotional. Otherwise, they’re just punks with pens and not worth debating let alone reading.