Yesterday, I watched a CNN clip where Kaitlan Collins interviewed Mike Johnson, the House Speaker. And, of course, he lied. The lie? That town hall meetings with Republican legislators were being hijacked by paid informants—rabble-rousers, if you will—sent by the Democrats. He didn’t name names. The internet quickly filled in the blanks. George Soros, the usual boogeyman, was behind it all.

Now, I get it. People who want to replace democracy with theocracy lie. That’s their thing. I’m not even sure they want a true Christian theocracy, because if they did, they’d actually read the Bible. I grew up bouncing between the Church of Christ and Baptist services, depending on which family member I was with. And I remember one thing clearly: each side was convinced the other was going to hell. So much for unity, right?

But back to Kaitlan and Mike. Kaitlan didn’t press him. Not really. Her pushback was tepid at best: “You can’t argue they were all paid protesters,” and “Democrats are constituents, too.” Sure, she said something, but it wasn’t enough to make a difference. It felt like she was afraid of losing access—afraid Mike Johnson wouldn’t come back for another interview. But let’s be real: he’ll be back. CNN’s audience is too big for him to ignore.

Now, I know nostalgia is dangerous. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: romanticizing the past can blind us to the progress we’ve made. But with that said, where are the real journalists? The ones who stand for truth, justice, and the American way? I’m talking about the modern-day Clark Kents. They would stop an interview dead in its tracks. They would never give a platform to liars, manipulators, and fraudsters.

Would Dan Rather let this slide? Walter Cronkite? Katie Couric? I don’t know. But I do know this: history rewards journalists who push back and expose corruption. Take Upton Sinclair, whose 1906 novel The Jungle exposed the horrors of the meatpacking industry and led to the Pure Food and Drug Act. Or Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, whose Watergate reporting brought down a president. Or Ida B. Wells, who risked her life to expose the lynching epidemic and take on powerful figures like Rockefeller.

Ida B. Wells didn’t just report the news; she changed it. She held power to account, even when it was dangerous to do so. Could you imagine Kaitlan Collins doing the same? Taking on a president or a billionaire like Elon Musk? She could, if she wanted to. She could have a place in history alongside Wells, Sinclair, and Woodward. But she’d have to start by asking the tough questions—and not backing down when the answers don’t add up.

Kaitlan isn’t the only one, of course. There are plenty of journalists out there who could be crusaders. But let’s be honest: they’re not coming from Fox News. Fox has its own agenda, one that rewards women for their looks and submissiveness rather than their intellect and courage. I had hopes for Megyn Kelly back in 2016. She pushed back on Trump, for a while at least. But then she decided clicks and cash were more important than integrity. And just like that, her credibility went out the window.

So where does that leave us? If legacy media won’t step up, who will? My money’s on social media. The next generation of watchdogs won’t come from CNN or The New York Times. They’ll come from startups and independent outlets that are already gaining traction online. They’ll be the ones to hold power to account, to ask the tough questions, and to demand evidence instead of letting lies slide.

Because here’s the thing: journalism isn’t just about reporting the news. It’s about being a voice for the voiceless, a check on power, and a champion of truth. And if today’s journalists won’t do that, then maybe it’s time for a new generation to step up. After all, history doesn’t remember the ones who stayed silent. It remembers the ones who spoke truth to power.