I spent time as a newspaper reporter. It was only a couple of years, but it was a demanding job that I “lived” more than worked. And it was my first professional job after college.

I loved it. It was a priceless experience for learning about the world and about my fellow human beings. And I honestly think it shaped me.

Let me tell you something — public figures who vilify the news media should not be trusted.

They are few and far between. (You might be surprised to hear me tell you that plenty of “politicians” are actually good, admirable people, working hard and doing their best to serve their community.)

But those who blast the media, or seek to control it, tend to be power-hungry individuals who are simply unaccustomed to having their authority questioned. They also tend to be less intelligent than their colleagues who are more at ease dealing with reporters. I swear it — local officials or staff who have poor relationships with reporters definitely tend to be less educated and more extreme in their views.

You know, of course, whose tweets (sigh) prompted me to write this. (It’s getting so that my abhorrence for the man makes me cringe at even typing his name.)

Of course I may be biased as a former “newsie.” But bias in America lately seems to be all the rage.