Much Good Can Come From COVID-19

Much good can come from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Years from now persons may look back upon this as a blessing due to the positive effects that come from it. What are some of these?

1. More People May Prepare Emergency Kits

The federal government has long urged persons to prepare an emergency kit in advance for potential disasters. And I’ve written articles and a chapter in book on the subject in which I urged persons to maintain at least a three week supply of basic essentials[1] instead of the three day supply the government websites recommended then. The quarantining and shortages currently occurring of some products will probably lead to more persons keeping such emergency kits stocked and ready in the future. Stocking at least two months of nonperishable foods is even advisable. But don't do panic buying now.

2. More Reading, Story Telling, and Online Learning

If persons get paid time off work due to quarantining, etc., they may have more time to read books and other educational materials either hard copies or online. Telling stories via phone or Internet or in person when reasonably feasible, taking online classes, etc., can be beneficial. It can be fun as well as educational.

3. Better Government Preparedness

The government maintains emergency stockpiles of many things. But what is learned from the COVID-19 disease can lead to the government recognizing the need to store some items not already stored and to adjust the quantities of certain items already stored. Ventilators, respirators, safety goggles, etc., may be more valuable than gold in certain circumstances. It’s good that the government maintain an adequate supply of these for health care professionals and others for emergencies.

4. Better Cooperation Among Nations

Sharing of information between countries to combat COVID-19 may lead to cooperation in other ways. The conflicts between China, Japan, European countries, the U.S., Mexico, etc., may not end, but incentives to work together to prevent, treat, and find a cure for the novel coronavirus may lead to cooperation in other areas. It certainly indicates that such cooperation is possible.

5. Better Cooperation Among Individuals

COVID-19 can lead more cooperation among persons. Neighbors can help one another by providing groceries, directions on where materials can be gotten, etc.

6. May Lead to More Appreciation of Blessings

Facing a situation with limited food, toilet paper, etc., helps one appreciate how fortunate one is during normal circumstances. And how blessed we are even in difficulties. As persons go from store to store seeking a place to acquire a huge supply of toilet paper, they may appreciate the benefit of having toilet paper all the time.

My mom has told me multiple times of how she used old catalog pages and corncobs instead of toilet paper when she was a child. I don’t want to have to do that--and I couldn’t since the only corn I have is in cans, and I don’t even have a paper catalog. But there are worse things than not having toilet paper. As a freelance writer, I have some old rejected manuscripts from years ago and rejections slips from submissions, I can use for toilet paper if necessary. However, I normally keep enough toilet paper on hand to last a few months, so I doubt I’ll run out.

7. Information Will Be Learned to Help With Future Diseases and Disasters

During this COVID-19 outbreak news media have provided many comparisons to the Spanish flu outbreak that began in 1918, resulting in millions of deaths, the closing of schools and churches, etc. What was learned from that outbreak has helped some in this one. And what is learned in the current outbreak will help in future ones.

8. It May Help Us Attain a Better Perspective on Priorities

One of my weaknesses is being a big college basketball fan. The cancellation the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and most other organized sporting events may lead to us putting sports in a better perspective. Too many of us (and yes I include me) devote too much time, money, talent, and energy to playing in and watching sporting events that could be used more constructively. 

9. Closing Thoughts

The favorite verse of my favorite preacher was Romans 8:28, which states in the King James Version:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

It’s a great verse. And I’m a firm believer in it. If we love God, the highest righteous authority, and follow God’s leading, Covid-19 will work somehow for good.

Much remains unknown about Covid-19 as I write this. And all the statistics being presented now will likely be revised later when more information becomes available. But a statistic frequently circulated by numerous media sources estimates that 80% of the persons who get the disease have minor or no noticeable symptoms. This is good news.

Another statistic cites United States Surgeon General Jerome Adams as stating the average age of those dying from it is 80, as reported by CNN[2] and others, so a lot of them are hopefully people who have already lived a long and fruitful life and are looking forward to heaven soon. Furthermore, many of them are people suffering from preexisting conditions, such as nursing home residents who presumably are less healthy than the typical senior citizens who may live several years beyond 80.

While I’d love for everyone to live happy and healthy forever, it’s a blessing that relatively few young people suffer from this, unlike the Spanish flu in the early 20th century. By the way, the term Spanish flu is a misnomer. The 1918 flu epidemic apparently began at a United States military training facility in Kansas, and it only spread to Spain and the rest of Europe when U.S. soldiers went there during WWII. Who knows? Maybe it was even some biological warfare experiment gone badly wrong.    

Finally, I’m an optimist. I’m confident information gained from this outbreak of COVID-19 will help enable persons to live longer, happier, healthier lives in the future.  

ENDNOTES:

[1] James Edwin Gibson; "Preparing for a Winter Weather Emergency"; Google Blogger; December 16, 2019; webpage accessed March 17th, 2020. https://oneopinionsomeviews.blogspot.com/2019/12/preparing-for-winter-weather-emergency.html

[2] Betsy  Klein; "The average age of death from coronavirus is 80 US surgeon general says"; CNN; March 9, 2020; webpage accessed march 17th, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-10-20-intl-hnk/h_756ae86885c0377629fc126a9086a172

NOTE:

This article being submitted to Google Blogger on March 17th, 2020 is very similar to one the author submitted to Craft News Report, a website operated by his friend Paul Craft, on Saturday, March 14th, 2020. 

2020 Election: Problems for Biden, Sanders, Trump, and U.S. Voters

As the 2020 election campaign continues, problems face the leading Presidential candidates and the persons who will be casting votes.

Joe Biden

Joe Biden’s impressive Super Tuesday showing may make him the front runner for the Democratic nomination for President. But he faces questions about his health.

Numerous errors in his speeches lead many to think he may be showing early signs of some type of dementia or senility. Various news sources have reported him stating he was running for U.S. Senate instead of President, people could vote for him or the other Biden, confusing his wife and sister, forgetting former President Obama’s name, forgetting what state he was speaking in, etc.

A Consortium News piece[1] is one of many that discuss these goofs. Though his gaffes seem to be becoming more frequent, a New York Times piece[2] from a few months ago notes they are not new.    

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders is the other major Democratic candidate remaining in the race. He is disliked by many prominent party officials, as indicated by the endorsements Joe Biden has recently received.

Also, lots of people consider the socialist views of Sanders far too liberal. Sanders’ strongest support seems to be among young people (possibly partially due to his promise of free college tuition), and young people typically don’t vote in as high a percentage as older voters.

Donald Trump

Donald Trump has accomplished much of what he campaigned on in 2016 whether you like him or not. During his administration, the unemployment rate has dropped, wages have gone up, conservative judges and Supreme Court justices have been appointed, and the unpopular ObamaCare healthcare mandate with its $695 penalty has been repealed.

But Trump’s hyperbole (lies?) in Tweets have offended many. Furthermore, with the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) from China, the stock market is going down and there are fears that the economy may follow. Coronavirus and a potentially declining economy may be his two biggest problems.

U.S. Voters

United States voters will likely be showing increasing concern as COVID-19 spreads and 401k values continue to drop in the coming months. If the job market and other aspects of the economy decline, that will add to voters’ concerns.

Abortion is a big issue for many liberal voters and many conservative voters, but the economy and COVID-19 will be bigger issues for most voters in coming months as I see it.

What Will the Results Be?

Only God knows what the results will be. But we can speculate.

As I see it, Bernie Sanders cannot win the election without a broader base of supporters. Due to the opposition of key party leaders and former candidates, I doubt that he will get that needed support.

Joe Biden’s misspeaking didn’t seem to hurt him significantly on Super Tuesday. As long as the main party officials continue to back him, he will likely continue to win more primaries than Sanders. I expect Biden to get enough support to win the Democratic nomination on the first ballot.

The key factors for Donald Trump will be the coronavirus and the economy. The coronavirus continues to spread and will likely get worse in the next few months. But the general election is not being held in a few months. It is in November.

Some other coronaviruses like colds and the flu usually subside during spring. Many experts hope that COVID-19 cases will decline by late spring. But experts are uncertain whether cases will decline seasonally.[3] Still, the facts that most cases are relatively mild, massive resources are being assembled to quarantine and treat those ill, and efforts to develop a safe, effective vaccine for it are being expedited, all bode well.

China claims it could have a vaccine by late April.[4] Furthermore, persons are being recruited to test a vaccine[5] in April here in the United States. My guess is that we’ll be well on the way toward having a safe, effective vaccine for the general public before the November election—even if it takes a year or more to mass produce such a vaccine.

Since COVID-19 apparently has at least two strains according to at least one researcher,[6] there may be a need for more than one vaccine. Just as a new flu vaccine is developed annually for one or more specific strains, a COVID-19 vaccine may need to focus on the most severe or common strain.

Massive resources are being devoted to combatting the new coronavirus. The $8.3 billion of federal money that the United States Congress and the President recently approved can help much in coming months. Regarding coronavirus, the important thing for the election in November may be that the number of ill people will likely be much lower in November than this winter and this spring, in my opinion, based on my admittedly very limited information; and, since I’m not a medical professional, I can’t give medical advice.

The most important factor in the election may be the economy. The economy may be getting worse the next few months due primarily to COVID-19. But it will hopefully be gearing up again this summer and fall. Realize of course that these are my opinions, not facts.

Closing Thoughts

My forecast (which may or may not be worth the computer screen I’m printing it on) is that due to a decline in coronavirus cases and improvements in the economy, Trump will be reelected in November. I expect Biden to win the Democratic nomination, and though Sanders supporters won’t vote for Trump, my guess is that many of those younger Sanders supporters will choose not to vote at all due to their dislike for both Biden and Trump.

Trump’s strongest opposition might come from a Biden-Clinton ticket, with Hillary Clinton as Biden’s vice presidential running mate. Hillary Clinton is probably much more liberal than Biden. I think she’d prefer to be President than Vice President. And I think Joe Biden would rather have someone other than her as his Vice President.

But Clinton’s desire to get back into a political leadership position, and Biden’s need to add someone to strengthen his campaign’s chances at winning, may make such a matchup happen. And if Biden won and his alleged senility progressed, he could choose to resign and allow Hillary Clinton to become President.

Though I’m an independent voter who voted for a third party candidate in 2016, I do agree with many of the things Trump has accomplished, and like him much better for his effectiveness as President than as a person. My guess is that if the economy is improving again in November, he will be reelected.

ENDNOTES:

---

[1] Caitlin Johnstone; “Stop Calling It a ‘Stutter:’ Dozens of Examples Show Biden’s Dementia Symptoms”; Consortium News; March 6, 2020; webpage accessed March 7, 2020; https://consortiumnews.com/2020/03/06/stop-calling-it-a-stutter-dozens-of-examples-show-bidens-dementia-symptoms/

[2] Katie Glueck; “The Many Ways That Joe Biden Trips Over His Own Tongue”; New York Times; October 31, 2019; webpage accessed March 7, 2020; https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/30/us/politics/joe-biden-debate-gaffes.html

[3] Sarah Gibbens; “Will warming spring temperatures slow the coronavirus?”; National Geographic; February 25, 2020 (last updated March 6, 2020); webpage accessed March 7, 2020; https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/02/what-happens-to-coronavirus-covid-19-in-warmer-spring-temperatures/#close

[4] “China claims the first coronavirus vaccines ‘could be’ in clinical use next month”; DailyMail; March 6, 2020; webpage accessed March 7, 2020; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8082805/China-claims-coronavirus-vaccine-clinical-use-April.html

[5] Nicolleta Nanese; “First coronavirus vaccine trial in the US is recruiting volunteers”; LiveScience; March 5, 2020; webpage accessed March 7, 2020; https://www.livescience.com/us-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-recruiting.html

[6] Jessica Hamzelou; “Coronavirus: Are there two strains and is one more deadly”; New Scientist; March 5, 2020; webpage accessed March 7, 2020; https://www.newscientist.com/article/2236544-coronavirus-are-there-two-strains-and-is-one-more-deadly/

NOTE:

This article being submitted to Google Blogger on March 8, 2020 is virtually identical to one submitted to Craft News Report, a website operated by the author’s friend Paul Craft, on March 7, 2020.

Voters Often Seem to Reject Party Politics and Political Parties

Voters increasingly seem to be rejecting political parties and party politics.

Registered Independents Outnumber Registered Republicans

Registered independent voters outnumbered registered Republican voters “in the 31 states that require voters to register by party” according to a Washington Post article[1] on February 28, 2020 that cited data from Ballot Access News for its information.

That seems to remain true in 2023. A 2023 World Population Review article[2] states that there are more voters registered as other or no party than as members of the Republican Party. That article uses individual state data from various dates to derive its results.

Furthermore, party leaders don’t seem to control the Presidential election process as much as they used to.

Personally, I registered to vote as an independent in 1976 and remain an independent today. I vote in the November general elections and often vote in the primary elections in nonpartisan races where I can vote. Below is a photo of the "I Voted" sticker I received after voting in the November 2022 election.

 

Trump’s Early Success Came from Voters, Not Party Leaders

When Donald Trump ran for President and won in 2016, he attracted relatively little support (and a lot of opposition) from traditional Republican party leaders during the Republican primary season. His support came from the voters not the party leaders.

Indeed, although Donald Trump is currently a Republican, over the years he has changed his party registration several times. At times he has been a registered Democrat or an independent, in addition to being a Republican at least twice, according to a Newsweek article[3] and numerous other sources.

Bernie Sanders’ Early Support Comes From Voters, Not Party Leaders 

Similarly, an early favorite in the 2020 Democratic primary election, Bernie Sanders, attracted relatively little support from traditional Democratic party leaders (and a significant amount of opposition).

Indeed, Sanders actually serves in Congress as an independent. As NPR reported in 2019,[4] Bernie Sanders filed both to run as an independent for reelection to Congress in 2024, as well as to run for the Democratic nomination for President in 2020. It might be more accurate to call him a socialist than a Democrat.

Sanders is popular among many Democrats at the grassroots level. But, while Bernie Sanders’ views are certainly closer to those of Democrats than to those of Republicans, his history as an independent and his support of socialist policies in several ways separate him from traditional Democratic party leaders.

Politics Naturally Leads to Two Groups

Regardless of whether or not two major political parties dominate elections, the voting process naturally leads to two divisions. On one hand you have the individual that wins an election and those who support or agree with that person. On the other hand you find all those who disagree with that  person. Of course some are ambivalent or undecided, but the majority of these persons may not vote.

Kentucky as an Example of Changes

When I grew up here in Kentucky in the 1960s and early 1970s, the winner of the Democratic primary election typically won the general election in most races. In many elections there was either no Republican candidate in the general election or just one with little support. And there were very few registered independent voters.

In 2020 when I originally published this article there were still more registered Democratic voters in Kentucky than Republicans, and far fewer independents than members of either party, according to the Commonwealth of Kentucky State Board of Elections.[5] But these registered Democratic voters often voted for Republicans.

Last year, 2022, the number of registered Republicans in Kentucky officially surpassed the number of registered Democrats according to an Associated Press article[6] and other sources.  

Traditionally Kentucky had been a state of conservative Democrats. As Democrats at the national level became more and more liberal on issues like abortion, gun control, etc., Kentucky’s registered Democrats increasingly voted Republican.

And the number of registered independents, though still relatively small, is increasing.

Trump, Sanders, and Polarization

Donald Trump attracted a lot of Democratic votes in Kentucky and around the country. Both Trump and Bernie Sanders have attained a lot of support from voters despite very little support from their Republican and Democratic party leaders, at least in the early stages of their Presidential campaigns.

But Trump and Sanders are somewhat polarizing in many ways due to their views, etc. Sanders is especially popular among young liberal voters according to FiveThirtyEight.com[7] and other sources. In contrast, some of Trump’s strongest support comes from white, non-college-educated, older voters according Axios.com[8] and other sources. Thus, there are to a certain extent two somewhat polarized groups.

I would love to see an end to the polarization of the two parties and of individual candidates. It would be great to see Democrats and Republicans unite for what is best for the entire situation, whatever the particular situation is.

While Trump and Sanders may not agree on a lot of the major issues that lead news headlines, the fact that both attained political success while going against their respective parties’ established leaders, bodes well for those seeking to end the dominance of elections by career party politicians.

Trump is a maverick who has expressed views closer to those of Democrats than of Republicans on some issues (rebuilding infrastructure, reducing military involvement overseas, etc.). Sanders is a maverick, basically a socialist, who advocates several entitlement programs that would put the United States well on its way to socialism if he were elected and successful in implementing what he’s campaigning on.

While seeking to do it in different ways, both Trump and Sanders both advocated programs that would greatly increase federal government spending and budget deficits, as I see it. It might be nice if their great, great grandchildren and other descendants were here to see how they propose spending their tax money.

Closing Thoughts on Voters and Government Spending

One thing that doesn’t seem to have changed is that a key to attracting votes is often to propose spending money on programs that benefit voters, regardless of the effect on the budget deficit. As voters increasingly reject traditional political parties and party politics, which I think is good, it would be nice if they also rejected deficit spending even if it benefits them.

That may not happen until it becomes a necessity though—and that time may be sooner rather than later if Democrats and Republicans continue creating federal budgets with huge annual deficits. I am an optimist who believes budget deficits will be reduced in time though.

ENDNOTES:

---

[1] Aaron Blake; “For the first time, there are fewer registered Republicans than independents”; WashingtonPost.com; February 28, 2020; webpage accessed February 29, 2020; https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/02/28/first-time-ever-there-are-fewer-registered-republicans-than-independents/ 

[2] "Registered Voters by Party 2023"; WorldPopulationReview.com; webpage accessed April 4, 2023; https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/registered-voters-by-party

  

[3] Jason Le Miere; “Is Trump Republican? Timeline of President’s Changing Views After He Sides With Democrats”; Newsweek.com; September 7, 2017; webpage accessed February 29, 2020; https://www.newsweek.com/trump-republican-democrats-president-661340

[4] Domenico Montanaro; “Bernie Sanders Files to Run As a Democrat—And an Independent”; NPR.org; March 4, 2019; webpage accessed February 29, 2020; https://www.npr.org/2019/03/04/700121429/bernie-sanders-files-to-run-as-a-democrat-and-an-independent  

[5] “Registration Statistics”; Commonwealth of Kentucky State Board of Elections”; webpage accessed February 29, 2020; https://elect.ky.gov/Resources/Pages/Registration-Statistics.aspx

[6] Bruce Schreiner; "Kentucky GOP overtakes Democrats in voter registration"; Associated Press; July 15, 2022; webpage accessed April 4, 2023; https://apnews.com/article/elections-kentucky-voter-registration-mitch-mcconnell-congress-ba56602785c07bc4a11534c6859fa7c3

 

[7] Laura Bronner and Perry Bacon, Jr.; “What Defines the Sanders Coalition?”; FiveThirtyEight.com; February 28, 2020; webpage accessed February 29, 2020; https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-defines-the-sanders-coalition/

[8] Stef W. Kight; “The demographic shifts disrupting the political world”; Axios.com; February 2, 2020; webpage accessed February 29, 2020; https://www.axios.com/demographic-shifts-what-matters-2020-424161bf-1e6e-4da9-b2b2-9a6b2b2099fa.html

NOTE:

This article submitted to Google Blogger on March 1, 2020 is virtually identical to one the author submitted to Craft News Report, a website operated by his friend Paul Craft, on February 29, 2020.

This article was last revised on April 4, 2023.

Is United States Freedom of Speech in Peril?

One of my many favorite things about living in the United States is the amount of freedom of speech enjoyed in this country compared to many (almost all?) others.

For me, the United States flag is (among other things) a symbol that reminds me of that freedom of speech. Below is a 2016 photo I took of a U.S. flag near courthouses in Lexington, Kentucky.

Is this freedom of speech in peril?

Freedom of speech is one of the things supposedly guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. What that freedom includes and doesn’t include is defined by various court decisions over the years.[1] It changes as new court cases are decided.

U.S. Freedom of Speech Has Always Been Limited

Freedom of speech in the U.S. has always had limitations. Certain officials and soldiers are sworn to secrecy about certain plans and activities of the military for example. Organizations often require employees to keep trade secrets.

Furthermore, even certain fiction novels have been banned at times. As an example, the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was banned for a time in some areas due to its depiction of slavery.   

Currently Debate Occurs Over Internet Media Censorship

Debate is ongoing over to what extent Internet social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube can and should censor speech, such as hate speech, presumed fake news, and classified information, as well as over how much restraint public officials ought to exercise in their public comments.

Two 2020 Situations

One situation occurred on February 13^th, 2020. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul on Twitter tweeted[2] “A chilling and disturbing day in America when giant web companies such as @YouTube decide to censor speech.” Senator Paul posted in response to YouTube removing a clip of Paul speaking at the U.S. Senate. You can argue that YouTube made the correct decision in that particular case, but once censorship of speeches at Senate meetings begins, where does it end?

A second 2020 situation involved West Virginia’s then governor, who also served as coach of the Greenbriar East High School girls’ basketball team and was accused of racism after calling some representatives of another team “a bunch of thugs[3]” due to behavior during a February 11^th, 2020 high school basketball game. The coach’s words were I think uncalled for, inappropriate, and perhaps one-sided since he coaches the Greenbriar team. But was his statement racist?[4] Based on what I read, he seemed to be criticizing behavior, not race. The term racism is overused nowadays as I see it. Too many seem to discourage freedom of thought by criticizing comments of those who disagree with one as being racist.

Inconsistency

In recent years at least a few careers have basically ended due to making one politically incorrect statement about certain races, cultures, religious groups, sexual orientations, or an individual. It will be great if this leads to less vulgar language, lying, and hyperbole. It will be wonderful if it leads to persons not speaking disparagingly about other races, cultures, religious groups, etc.

But if it gets to the point where it discourages honest, open communication, I think it has gone too far. Even worse, while horrible language is despised in some cases, it is tolerated or even encouraged in others. Where is the consistency?  

Often fake news and Internet messages with false or misleading information go viral. Some of the Twitter comments by President Trump, as well as statements by liberal and conservative broadcast commentators like Rachel Maddow and Rush Limbaugh, seem to go way overboard. Yet they go viral and are acclaimed by many followers while condemned by many detractors. 

When I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s pornography and vulgar language were not acceptable in public or in public media like television, radio, or mainstream motion pictures for the general public. Now such things are often tolerated in the name of freedom of speech.    

Where is balance? What is the proper perspective?

Personally, I despise hate speech and strongly dislike the willingness and ability for fake news to be spread so quickly and broadly. I also dislike obscene and pornographic videos, pictures, and words.

I know there is a gray area between what is acceptable and what isn’t. It isn’t always clear-cut what should be allowed. 

But I find it inappropriate that persons who have served effectively for years in a career can be castigated and ruined for one comment, while others can seemingly speak at will. I recognize those in positions of authority need to be held accountable to a higher standard. But the standard needs to be fair and fairly consistently applied.

While certain prominent persons seem to be able to promote such things at will, others seem to be ostracized and ruined for making what seems to be one relatively minor misstatement.

News headlines frequently result from online bullying of school children, hate speech against minority groups, and other similar things. But what is the best way to eliminate such speech, while tolerating and encouraging a variety of views and a reasonable amount of freedom of speech?

What was acceptable in past generations is now unacceptable, for better or worse. And I think it is for better in some cases, for worse in others. Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird are classic novels that I enjoyed reading during my childhood. Even today I think they both have great merit that outweighs the weaknesses of the stereotypes portrayed in both books. Others disagree. Similar things can be stated for many other books, magazines, movies, television shows, etc.

The Changing Nature of News Coverage

The plethora of websites, abundant availability of computers with printers that could in theory allow most of us to print our own newsletter or polemic, and the widespread use of cellphones with capabilities that would have seemed almost unbelievable a generation or two ago make more information available to more people than ever before in history in a sense. In 2020 I wrote a piece for the now defunct website, Craft News Report, titled, “The Changing Nature of News Coverage[5].”

The main sources of news in the last two centuries, newspapers, are folding. They may be almost completely gone in a generation. In January 2020, the local newspaper here in Lexington, Kentucky, a city of over 300,000 people, ceased publishing a Saturday print edition. The next month its parent company (McClatchy) filed for bankruptcy.

The future of newspapers in general is in doubt. I dislike the liberal bias of the Lexington paper, but it has the largest staff of any news provider in the eastern half of Kentucky and probably offers more news stories than any other in this half of the state. What will replace the void if/when it and other local newspapers disappear?

Providing more revenue to news providers could help. The Wall Street Journal reported February 14, 2020[6] that Google was considering paying some publishers for news. This could be a great opportunity to provide needed revenue to producers of quality news. But it raised the questions of who would be paid, how much, and how it would impact such news producers if it took place. Would news producers censor their production to produce what Google and/or other news purchasers want?

During the years 2020-2023, discussions have continued over the use (or abuse) of news by Internet websites, including Google. There have apparently been some agreements to pay publishers for news, consideration of laws to require it, etc. It remains to be seen what the long term results will be. 

We have much more news than ever before and more ways to share it. But more doesn’t always mean better. And the shutdown of a few major computer servers, censorship by some governments, and just changing the criteria for how search results are displayed on Google could affect the availability of much of this information.

Few of us could afford to research, print, and mass distribute a newsletter printed from our own computer. And how many persons own their own server to distribute things online?

Furthermore, what if a major electrical outage occurred due to weather or another factor?

There are lots of things to consider. For me one key consideration is whether mainstream news websites, public figures, and others will avoid covering certain stories or saying certain important things out of fear of offending certain groups. Let’s seek a proper balance.

ENDNOTES:

---

[1] “What Does Free Speech Mean?”; USCourts.gov; webpage accessed February 16, 2020; https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/what-does

[2] Rand Paul; Twitter tweet; Twitter.com; 10:20 a.m., February 13, 2020; webpage accessed February 16, 2020; https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/1227975800928063490

[3] Tyler Jackson; “Justice: ‘They’re a bunch of thugs’ ”; The Register-Herald; February 12, 2020; webpage accessed February 16, 2020; https://www.register-herald.com/sports/justice-they-re-a-bunch-of-thugs/article_9cd95d82-4d57-11ea-8596-f76726a5a528.html

[4] Jessica Farrish; “NAACP calls for a meeting”; The Register-Herald; February 13, 2020; webpage accessed February 16, 2020; https://www.register-herald.com/news/naacp-calls-for-a-meeting/article_75b69a18-7917-5035-bcb3-b141fce6696d.html 

[5] James Edwin Gibson; “The Changing Nature of News Coverage”; Craft News Report; August 11, 2019; webpage accessed February 16, 2020; https://craftnewsreport.com/blog/f/the-changing-nature-of-news-coverage The website has since closed down.

[6] Benjamin Mullin; “Google in Talks to Pay Publishers for News”; Wall Street Journal; updated February 14, 2020, 3:46 p.m. EST; webpage accessed February 16, 2020; https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-in-talks-to-pay-publishers-for-content-in-premium-news-product-11581689169

NOTE:

This article submitted to Google Blogger on February 16, 2020 is virtually identical to one submitted earlier the same day to Craft News Report, a website operated by the author’s friend Paul Craft.

This article was last revised on February 22, 2023.