Media act like cheerleaders, not instant replay referees

The American press has abandoned its constitutional role as impartial observer and morphed into a partisan cheerleading operation that manipulates rather than informs the public, according to Michael Breeden writing in Washington Examiner.

The proper function of journalism in a democratic republic should mirror instant replay officials in professional sports—providing citizens with unfiltered, multi-angle coverage of events so they can judge for themselves what happened. Instead, too many outlets now operate like cheerleaders with press credentials, selectively lighting some political teams while casting shadows on others.

Michael Breeden, a retired Air Force chief master sergeant with nearly three decades of special operations service, argues that journalists have disastrously assumed the role of oracle, determined to reshape society rather than simply report the facts. This manipulation breeds resentment and degrades public trust in the entire information system.

Drawing from military experience, Breeden notes that choosing narrative over evidence amounts to faulty battlefield intelligence. Combat operators live and die by ground truth, not spin. Similarly, American citizens—who bear the costs of poor governance—deserve unvarnished information rather than being treated like children requiring management by an arrogant media class.

Historical Warnings Echo Today

The pattern has deadly precedent. During the Dreyfus Affair, French press organs transformed a weak legal case into a national loyalty test, defending institutional honor while treating dissent as treason. The injustice degraded French national resolve for decades. Meanwhile, when Winston Churchill warned about Nazi rearmament in the 1930s, respectable British media dismissed him as a warmonger, preferring comfortable narratives of peace. The eventual cost bankrupted the British Empire.

America has repeated these mistakes. Major outlets largely overlooked former President Bill Clinton’s personal misconduct. After September 11th, once American forces engaged overseas, many newsrooms maintained relentless casualty counts and anti-war framing that undermined national resolve—coverage that mysteriously quieted when a preferred administration took office.

Russia Hoax to COVID Coverups

The Obama years received fawning “scandal-free” treatment before the singular media objective became destroying President Donald Trump. Unverified claims from government leakers received massive amplification until nearly half the country believed Russia had altered vote tallies. When that narrative collapsed, the leakers faced no accountability while journalists awarded themselves prizes.

Former President Joe Biden was protected as his family’s corruption and cognitive decline were systematically minimized. Anthony Fauci’s fear campaign received uncritical amplification while dissenting medical voices were branded dangerous. Throughout, the media Jumbotron kept showing only the preferred version of events.

When outlets claiming democracy dies in darkness refuse to shine forensic light on powerful institutions they favor, they betray their constitutional protection.

Citizens, Not Subjects

The solution is not government press control—Americans experienced that during the COVID response. What’s needed are journalists who remember their actual function, ownership that values independence, and citizens willing to conduct their own research. A press attempting to improve the world by manipulating coverage becomes merely another wasteful government appendage.

The republic needs honest referees with clean instant replay far more than it needs cheerleaders masquerading behind media credentials. American democracy was designed as a republic for informed citizens, not subjects requiring narrative management by self-appointed elites.

Breeden writes on sovereignty, culture, and institutional accountability from his background in combat control special operations.

With information from Washington Examiner