Journalism, Truth, and Democracy

"It should be like Joe Friday said: 'Just the facts, ma'am.' Never forget that, Lindsey."

That was what my Dad said to me a few days before I started college. We were sitting on our couches and he was discussing how much he thinks Journalism has sold out to far-left political interests as a majority. He pretty much thinks that Fox News is the only untainted news source anymore. Knowing that I intend to enter this profession, he reminded me of Joe Friday's catch-phrase from Dragnet. Dad was reminding me that reporters must report the facts, the truth, leaving their opinions completely out of it. Opinions are not the place of a reporter in writing for their paper unless they are an assigned columnist or critic. Journalists exist to tell the public the information, the truth, which they need in order to be free and self-governing. If the public does not know the truth, they cannot make informed decisions, and thus cannot effectively "provide...guards fro their future security." (Declaration of Independence)

I really liked the example of the Pentagon Papers in my Principles of Journalism class--if the public had known the truth, what was in the reports, in the 60's rather than the 70's, we might have saved so many lives. If not for the press, we might never have known any different than what the public had known before the papers came out. Can you imagine still being embroiled in the Vietnam War because we still had no idea how badly we were losing?

That's why I really see journalism as a high calling. I worry that many journalists today are becoming materialistic and aren't thinking of the public trust we serve. We are supposed to help, to reveal truth, to "be a light...in dark places when all other lights go out." ( Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) (Yes, I am a quote nerd)