How is the public supposed to know what is going on relative to the dangers facing this nation when major news media — in this case, the Associated Press — fail to report two diametrically differing opinions on a single subject voiced by two very senior government officials in Washington?

Last week, Secretary of State John Kerry told members of a congressional committee that the United States and its citizens are safer today than in years and that there have been fewer killings around the world in the past several years than at any time in the past century. Almost the same day, James Clapper, director of national intelligence, told members of another congressional committee that the threat of terrorism has never been this high in all the 45 years that terror risk data have been compiled.

Who is the public to believe? Kerry, as secretary of state, is supposed to support and deliver the story line coming out of the white House. Clapper, a professional in the field of national security, is supposed to report the facts, not the political spin.

It’s obvious there is a huge disconnect in Washington among individuals who are supposed to be leveling with the public. Unfortunately, it appears many in the news media either are refusing to report what is going on or are lazy and don’t think these reports are important.

Either way — deliberately or by accident — the public is being shortchanged.