Today, news of Tom Hank’s latest gift made my day, as much as it made headlines across the internet.

I’m not a journalist and I’m definitely not a member of the White House press corps, but I spend a good portion of my day job speaking to the ethics of journalism and to the importance of the truth while reporting the news here at elephant journal.

Tom Hanks presented the White House press corps with a new espresso machine to replace the one he gave them during the presidency of George W. Bush. It was a generous gesture, but I think more so that it is a gift that was a much-needed morale boost to the press in the face of the unprecedented obstacles they are currently facing in today’s political and societal climate.

https://twitter.com/PeterAlexander/status/837339001757569024

I must say, that I find his included note with the machine to be, in so many words, quite perfectly said:

His note read: “Keep up the good fight for Truth, Justice and the American way. Especially for the Truth part.”

Yes. Yes, to this. Thank you, Mr. Hanks, for standing up for the pursuit of truth, for the fourth estate, and for making the point that the press, and journalism itself, is not the enemy right now but it is our best method of fighting for the American way that we hold so dear. I’m sure that the press corps would also like to thank you for the espressos as well, but I won’t venture to speak for them.

“Partisan media, left or right, is one thing. But when you make journalism the enemy, you make truth the enemy, and you make We The People your enemy. You do not want to pick a fight with truth.” ~ Waylon Lewis

~

Author: Molly Murphy
Image: YouTube