The Reality Check 10 12 26

Good afternoon, good afternoon, New Orleans, and welcome to the Reality Check on WBOK 1230 AM and 107.1 FM, where we believe that the people deserve more than headlines, more than political talking points, and certainly more than somebody's agenda disguised as news.

Now, before we get into today's show, there is something I want to address.

And I want to be very deliberate about how I address it because I believe there is a difference between having a platform and having a purpose.

There is a difference between having an audience and having credibility.

And there is most certainly a difference between reporting the news and being paid to promote somebody else's political interests.

Last week, during one of our broadcasts, I made a statement about the standards that we uphold here on the reality check and at WBOK.

I said that we take pride in our work.

We research the issues that we bring to this microphone.

We examine documents.

We make public records requests.

We review contracts, ordinances, legislation, budgets, court filings, and other records.

We ask questions.

We interview people.

We follow the money.

And when we bring a story to our listeners, we make every effort to support what we are reporting with facts and evidence.

We don't just bring receipts and we don't just bring opinions.

We bring documentation.

And in that context and that context only, I made a broader observation about the changing media landscape.

And I said that there are some social media influencers who, who hold themselves out as news reporters or independent commentators when in reality they may be presenting stories from the perspective of politicians or political candidates who employ or compensate them for services.

Now let me be very clear about something.

I did not say all social media influencers.

I did not say most influencers.

social media influences? I said some.

And I did not identify a single social media influencer.

Not one.

Good afternoon, good afternoon, New Orleans, and welcome to the Reality Check on WBOK 1230 AM and 107.1 FM, where we believe that the people deserve more than headlines, more than political talking points, and certainly more than somebody's agenda disguised as news.

Now, before we get into today's show, there is something I want to address.

And I want to be very deliberate about how I address it because I believe there is a difference between having a platform and having a purpose.

There is a difference between having an audience and having credibility.

And there is most certainly a difference between reporting the news and being paid to promote somebody else's political interests.

Last week, during one of our broadcasts, I made a statement about the standards that we uphold here on the reality check and at WBOK.

I said that we take pride in our work.

We research the issues that we bring to this microphone.

We examine documents.

We make public records requests.

We review contracts, ordinances, legislation, budgets, court filings, and other records.

We ask questions.

We interview people.

We follow the money.

And when we bring a story to our listeners, we make every effort to support what we are reporting with facts and evidence.

We don't just bring receipts and we don't just bring opinions.

We bring documentation.

And in that context and that context only, I made a broader observation about the changing media landscape.

And I said that there are some social media influencers who, who hold themselves out as news reporters or independent commentators when in reality they may be presenting stories from the perspective of politicians or political candidates who employ or compensate them for services.

Now let me be very clear about something.

I did not say all social media influencers.

I did not say most influencers.

social media influences? I said some.

And I did not identify a single social media influencer.

Not one.