I have been a journalist for almost my entire adult life, so I was dismayed to learn that 10 journalists were killed by Afghan suicide bombers April 29. Three days earlier, a Palestinian journalist, wounded as he covered protests in Gaza, succumbed to his wounds.
It is often a dangerous profession. In much of the world, journalists are commonly jailed or worse. I've always known that there is an element of danger, but what I find distressing is the public perception of the media and the press.
I find there is little awareness of the vital role that the press plays in a democracy. People casually talk about fake news or the lamestream media as they go for the quick laugh or the jab at the easy target.
Americans should know better.
Thomas Jefferson said that the "best defense of a democracy is a free and vigorous press." People who take quick and easy jabs at a free press only do so because they have never had the misfortune of living in a place without a free press.
Do you really think you will get fair or balanced information about anything in Russia or China or Saudi Arabia or Egypt?
The answer is a resounding no, because government typically controls the flow of information. Information is power. Without information, you wouldn't know about government corruption or corporate polluters.
You wouldn't have access to information about candidates so that you can make an informed choice whenever you vote.
Recently, the press informed you about the dangers of eating romaine lettuce, told the stories of brave women fighting back against abuse, and chronicled the spread of a movement to stop gun violence in our nation.
Without freedom of the press, none of that would be possible.
I know what you're thinking. The press is one-sided and unfair, and it presents a distorted view, like looking through a funhouse mirror. I am the first to say that as members of the press, we need to do a better job.
We need to dismiss the idea that there is "liberal news" or "conservative news." That's not news. It's an editorial. We need more in-depth reporting and more follow-ups. We need to stop filling the airwaves with the same three stories while ignoring so many other events.
We need more substance and less style. We need to remember that journalists should be nearly invisible reporters of the truth. They aren't stars, and it isn't about the cult of personality.
Despite its many flaws, the press plays a vital role in our democracy. It is no less important to America than the right to vote or the government system of checks and balances.
What America really needs is a lesson in civics, and the importance and value of the press would be a good place to start.
Michael Short
Lewes
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