OPINION:
“Fake news.” It’s a term many of us have come to know over the last several years as a stark criticism of the media.
News outlets have become more biased on both sides of the aisle, and America’s trust in the media is at an all-time low. As someone who works in political communications and is familiar with defamation cases, even against media outlets, I’ve seen false reporting ruin people’s lives. This unfortunate swing has caused us to forget that there is also a power of media for good.
On Saturday, Oct. 7, I woke up to a text from a colleague and friend who was on vacation in Israel. Evil Hamas terrorists had hit the country.
People were interested in these podcasts
The tour company my colleague was with assured her she would be OK for several days and to just wait it out. But in a country plagued by war, seconds matter.
Finally, on Tuesday, Oct. 10, I got the call that required action: “Please get me out of here. Iceland and Brazil are rescuing their citizens, and Americans are stuck with canceled flight after canceled flight. There is no plan to get home, Tel Aviv isn’t safe, and the State Department is completely silent.”
The plea was jarring, and though I had absolutely no idea how we would accomplish it, I promised her we would get her out.
My mind immediately went to using what I know. Countless times we have used the media to help influence change. I called a journalist whom I trusted to tell stories with truth, integrity and conviction.
She jumped into action, and in minutes, we were on a call with my colleague and a few others in her group who described the situation, what the plan (or lack thereof) was, and how, ultimately, we hoped that the Biden administration would get wind of these stranded Americans and send help before it was too late.
The story was posted that evening and told a grim tale of tourists just looking for a way out. I shared it with dozens of other journalists and media figures who helped to amplify the story.
At that point, the brave and courageous hero, Rep. Cory Mills, had seen this story and heard of others and was on his way to Israel. I was soon put in touch with his chief of staff, who was wholeheartedly committed to this mission. She had also seen the story and had been trying to get in touch with the group as I dialed her. Truly a miracle.
Her response: Send me her location, passport number and date of birth. We can get to her in three hours.
We put out a bat signal, and Batman showed up.
Within 15 hours of that initial plea, Mr. Mills had reached her with an armored vehicle and rescued her. They went on to pick up 31 other Americans, worked with the ambassador to Jordan to cross the border, and traveled safely to Amman, where these Americans all had the opportunity to fly home to their families.
Within hours of her pickup, drone strikes were rumored to have hit the very place she was, and the entire region went on lockdown. The miracle of getting these Americans to safety started with a journalistic megaphone that spread around the world.
Tragedy can often bring people together or tear them apart. The political divide in our nation has become so strong that people tend to ignore things happening on the other side of their beliefs. Let us pray that this allows us to come together and hold on to our freedoms.
Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are two of the most important things we hold in America and things that many take for granted.
Amid the credibility of the media crashing, it’s also important to remember that there are still journalists out there trying to do what’s right and inform the public. There are still good stories all over the world that deserve to be told.
And sometimes, it even saves lives.
• Erica Knight, president of Knox Strategies, is a political and crisis communications expert. She has worked with some of the top political personalities in the country, directed strategies on numerous campaigns, and is a trusted source in conservative media.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.