Laura Rose Tinkler
lauratinkler@gmail.com
Democracy and journalism have a codependent relationship. The goal of journalism in its purest form is to inform the members of society. According to The Elements of Journalism by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, "The primary purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the information they need to be free and self-governing" (17).
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| Illustration by Joey Guidone for the Harvard Business Review |
The press has acted as a tool for many citizens working for a freer society throughout history. Journalism gives people the opportunity to communicate and without it democracy flounders.
In the early days of American history, journalism and newspapers were beginning to rise. The newspapers gave people an outlet to speak the truth about British rule and consequently became a critical component of the United States' idea of democracy.
A free press was included in many of the state's laws and ultimately became part of the nation's Constitution. According to The Elements of Journalism, "A free press thus became the people's first claim on their government" (24).
This idea of free press for a free society has continued into contemporary times. In Poland in the early eighties, the television show 60 Minutes Per Hour gave Polish citizens an opportunity to express their concerns and the issues of the day. When the show was taken off the air, it was clear the government had taken complete control as it had declared martial law on Poland.
The Role of Journalism in Democracy
Journalism has a responsibility to its citizens, to tell the truth. It often acts as the first line of information. The Elements of Journalism states that most journalists agreed "The central purpose of journalism is to tell the truth so that people will have the information they need to be sovereign" (20).
The article Journalism's Market Failure is a Crisis for Democracy by Victor Pickard further emphasizes the need for journalism to protect democracy. He explains, "For a democracy to flourish, it is vitally important to tell stories about key issues from different perspectives -- to ensure a diverse people have access to a wide range of voices and views."
How Journalism Affects Civic Engagement
According to How We Know Journalism is Good for Democracy, access to newspapers and press directly affects civic engagement. The article explains that without local news outlets citizens are less likely to be involved in government action.
In a 2009 study by Matthew Gentzkow, he found "the act of reading a newspaper can mobilize as many as 13 percents of non-voters to vote. The article also cites the closing of the Cincinnati Post as the reason why fewer candidates ran for municipal office.
Overall, it is clear journalism is a major player in the structure of democracy. It delivers the truth to the public and empowers them to make informed decisions.
Hi Laura!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. Our readings this week showed us just how important and how impactful journalism is to democracy. I think that it's interesting that 13% of non-voters voted after reading a newspaper. It shows the importance of information and educating ourselves about our democracy. Without journalism, our world would look very different as would our democracy.