I decided to take a break from giving advice to journalism students this week. I feel that there's an issue that's prevalent in our society today. That issue is the use of the term "Fake News." That term is being used on a daily basis by politicians and people in general who take issue with the news. This term diminishes and attempts to breakdown journalists who aim to simply do their jobs.

But here's the thing, just because the news doesn't fit the narrative or someone's opinion doesn't mean it's fake.

Let's be objective - this is not just a political problem. It happens in sports, and it happens in entertainment. I've seen fanbases of musical artists go to extreme lengths to defend their favorite artist against negative commentary, even if what's being said about them is true. It's most obvious in politics, though. President Trump speaks on it as well as different politicians across the country. Now, supporters of the president, or supporters of politicians who proclaim the news is fake, echo the same sentiment. This is dangerous for a couple of reasons, but the main reason is that people leave themselves open to the actual fake news.

Think about it from this standpoint. If I write a story about the sky being blue and have the proof that it is blue and someone that you admire says that I'm lying, then my job is pointless. If anything that I say doesn't fit the other person's opinion, then that person closes his or her mind to the truth. The truth is whatever they feel, think, or believe. That's dangerous because you take away key life qualities that make humanity great.

If you believe you're right about a certain issue and the other person is wrong, how can you have empathy for what the true issue is? How can you agree to disagree with someone who just wants to understand why you feel the way you feel about a certain topic? How can you gain an understanding for deeper issues if all you base your truth on is your own facts instead of the real facts?

This, unfortunately, is where society is headed. We're headed towards being a closed-minded society that accepts propaganda and opinions as facts. This will lead to a people who form cliques with people who they relate to and cast away those who seek to tell the truth, also known as journalists.

But as journalists and aspiring journalists, now is the time to put all the resources that we have into telling the truth. If we tell the truth, then no person on this planet can say that they didn't know. Instead, the reality will be that they chose to ignore the truth and went with what they thought was the truth.

I'm convinced that if one person accepts the truth being told, then it's mission accomplished. Journalists endure intense training in school and even on the job to make sure the news that we produce is fake. One piece of fake news could end a career in the profession.

Open minded people change the world, while close-minded people drown in their own ignorance. Open your mind to the truth, because it will set you free.