“Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper.” (Thomas Jefferson)

It’s a new year and “journalist” are following the age-old tradition of sitting around patting themselves on the back while explaining it’s not their fault they’re the Typhoid Mary of misinformation.  Alas, this is nothing new.  The old press has been the primary spreader of misinformation since our country was founded. Thomas Jefferson – one of the greatest advocates for a free press in our history – pointed this out in his  letter of June 14, 1807, to John Norvell:

“the man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them; inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods & errors…”

 Not sure, is that “misinformation” or “disinformation” Jefferson was talking about?  In any event there you have it, the press embraced fake news no later than 217 years ago.  What’s worse, is over the next couple of centuries things only got worse, a few of many examples: