I was a journalism major who graduated in 1974, just as the Watergate scandal was about to climax with the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Reporting by Woodward and Bernstein of the Washington Post exposed just how rotten things were inside the White House.  I thought these guys were heroes.  I especially loved "Uncle Walter" Cronkite of CBS News, "the most trusted man in America."

But Richard Nixon kept an "enemies list" and he obviously was no fan of the press (and the feeling was mutual).  Now Donald Trump is saying the press is the "enemy of the American people."  This has too familiar a ring to it. 

As a lifelong newspaper guy, I have a hard time thinking of myself as anyone's "enemy."  Most newspeople I know got into the business so they could tell the truth and enlighten when possible. That sounds quaint, I know -- but I still believe it. 

Today we're drowning in fake news, click-bait headlines, ads disguised as news and newsfeeds that get twisted to coincide with our personal views. 

Media in recent years has gone way overboard in terms of promoting political agendas.  This is true on the right; it's true on the left; it's true of just about all newspaper, cable TV and Internet outlets these days. 

Traditional TV news networks (CBS, ABC and NBC) do a pretty good job of playing it straight.  But younger people these days get their news from Facebook, whose algorithm encourages "confirmation bias" (just hearing what you want to hear) and which allows occasional outbreaks of fake news. 

The media is now reaping much of what it has sown.  The current-day confusion invites Trump to keep us off balance -- and the more off-balance we are, the more able Trump is to provide "the answer."

But for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  It feels like a new era of Woodwards and Bernsteins -- and Deep Throats -- is about to rise. 

THE LATEST (TheLatest.com) is attempting to do something we believe represents a step in the right direction: We pledge to remain strictly neutral in terms of politics. 

We will do our best to show you the same story from multiple perspectives -- liberal, moderate and conservative. 

Similarly, we encourage a wide diversity of views in our opinion pieces called "THE LATEST THINKING."  All reasonable views are welcome here; we can all learn from one another. 

We have NO institutional agenda and we will NEVER endorse a candidate.

We respect your ability to figure things out for yourself. 

Just as it would have been wrong for Obama to exclude Fox News or other conservative media outlets from the White House, we ask President Trump to keep the doors open to a wide range of media outlets. It's the right thing to do. 

It's time we, as a country, started talking to one another again.  THE LATEST wants to connect people of good will who want to explore what's new, move things forward. 

That includes everyone.