You're hurting good journalism.

I was walking through a church last week.

Sounds like the start of a joke.

Unfortunately not.

The sign before was written: “No false news here but good news. ”

I felt furious.

Why did a place of worship have to adopt a poisonous political slogan?

Is it a part so accepted in everyday speech that they ignore the damage you are doing?

Of course, it is the responsibility of journalists and news rooms to gain the confidence of the public who serve it.

Most of us try to do this every day.

But false news has poisoned public life and discourse.

It no longer marks false or weak journalism, but journalism or facts that one dislikes.

It's a shortcut for the phrase:

The idea itself has led to an increase in the number of threats against journalists.

But more importantly, it's making our job more difficult because it's undermining people's trust in us.

There's a maxim that every youth in one news room learns: that the definition of news is something that someone, somewhere, wants to print, and that the rest of it is a commercial.

Finding evidence that someone else wants them to hide is too difficult.

It takes experience, judgment, thick skin, persistence, ability to take risks, and often, courage.

Here are some examples in recent years of stories that would not come to light without journalism.

Rotherham's child harassment scandal.

Poison water at Flint, Michigan.

Harvey Weinstein.

Cambridge Analytica and the use of personal data to influence elections.

Russia's interference in the 2016 American presidential election and ties to Trump's village.

There are many more.

Of course, we make mistakes.

But are we what Donald Trump described to us <x0... enemies of the people”?

In his best interests, journalism protects ordinary citizens.

You hold the powerful before responsibility, and you give voice to those that no one hears.

Depending on the circumstances, he may be you, your family, or your community.

Please do not engage in false news charges.

You're shooting at people who might be the last line in your defense one day.

And this is exactly what people and powerful organizations want: Have no one to protect you.

He agrees to stop trusting us.

Don't let them manipulate you.