Year in review: Keith Gerein satirizes anti-journalism mob

Liam adam2022-12-29

The past year has been a positive turning point for our city after two years of the COVID-related slump. And yet, the gloom refused to fade completely, which may explain why many of my columns focused on dark topics such as inflation, homelessness, and the like.

In that vein, my favorite column of 2022 is the one I hoped I would never have to write, about threats against journalists. Criticism goes with the territory in journalism, and was certain to rise with pandemic anger. But the level of violent and dehumanizing vitriol directed at colleagues this year was on a scale I had previously considered unimaginable. People have lost their minds.

I don’t often attempt satire, and it can be risky to direct it towards a population that often misses the point. But I also respect the power of satire to shine a light on those with preposterous views. Humor can be sanitizing. While it may have been just the choir responding to my preaching, it was a column that found an audience and hopefully restored some sanity to an out-of-control speech.

Read the original column here.

Gb8

Liam adam2022-12-29