Re: "Fake news" in Letters from our Readers, Aug. 22

I’d like to start this letter off with telling you that I work for the media. I’m also a liberal, so you can stop now if you’d like. As an employee of a media outlet, I’ve done nothing more than get a job to support my family, pay my taxes, and my bills, a job I’ve had for the past 17 years. While my job, radio, is not media driven — I am still an employee of an outlet that is considered media.

In recent times a target has been painted on my back, and the backs of thousands of others who simply “work” in media. The leader of our country says on a regular basis that we are “the enemy of the people.” I’m sick to death of hearing that all-too-familiar “fake news” phrase. However, it does not change that we have people in this country, who, for whatever reason, take the phrase, “enemy of the people” to heart. Those same people walk into newspaper buildings and actually kill people. Those same people call journalists and leave disturbing death threats on their voicemail. Those same people are currently planning their next attack. I simply work in media, that’s my character flaw. Stop painting targets on my back.

Fox news has a history of reporting “fake news.” I will congratulate you on pointing out that media sources get it wrong, they ALL do. How many times have you seen a correction in the newspaper, and how many times have you seen a media outlet retract their previous story? If you think the media has only started getting information wrong, I’ll correct you. In November of 1948, the Chicago Daily Tribune reported that Dewey had beaten Truman. Bold, front-page print. Seventy years of “fake news.”

Onto the economy: We’re currently in the middle of a ridiculous trade war, increasing prices, putting hardships on our growers and ranchers. So much so that the government has set aside money to help aid them amidst this trade war. Jobs numbers have been increasing slowly, and unemployment declining, since 2011; I’m sorry, Trump cannot take credit for that, and you can’t give it to him. We currently live in a country where the average working person cannot afford housing. A country where you can literally be homeless and have a full time job. Have you been to the grocery store lately?! Prices are astronomical! I haven’t seen a wage increase, those I’ve spoken with haven’t seen a wage increase. Trump’s numbers are projected to decrease; I’ll wait it out like the rest of you to see if that prediction comes true. You say we have companies coming to the US, but we have so many who are pulling out. You cannot have growth that way, it just doesn’t work.

Can we just stop with the Hillary thing? What has Hillary done that has directly affected a decision coming down from the White House? Does she seriously have that much pull? If she does, I think America got it wrong! You see, those who care to take notice have noticed. It’s always Hillary or Obama, never Trump. Listen, it’s Trump. I told a story to a friend about a library card and my daughter — how it wasn’t her who did it; it was the other girl with the same first name. At the end of the day, it was my daughter’s name on the library card; at the end of this day, and the end of tomorrow, it will be Trump’s name on the library card. If you want to talk emails, why haven’t you brought up the fact the Jared Kushner has done the exact same thing? Why haven’t his private emails and deletion been brought up?

We have one of the most disrespectful presidents currently sitting in office, one whose Twitter account is far more important than this country. One who has a million compliments for the likes of Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin, but cannot find one for Senator McCain (may he rest in peace). We shell out millions in tax dollars for golf trips, yet presidents like Obama were condemned for taking a vacation. Hello, pot - meet kettle.

Jamie Holeman

Grand Coulee