The Public's Voice

Lily Roby

lr158117@ohio.edu

Journalism itself has one original, sole purpose, and that is to give society and the people within society a voice. 

Without journalists, there would be little to no voice for the public. Sure, the general people of countries and cities could post their opinions online or hold public meetings to discuss the problems they have with certain government officials or decisions, but those opinions and statements would never spread beyond the set boundaries. 

Journalists are there to do the sharing, while making it a key point to research and ensure that the information they put out is fairly unbiased, accurate and valid.

Who would take the time to do the research on lawmakers' choices? In our modern day, most people seem to take newspapers, magazines and media sites for granted, as they clarify information and release breaking news almost instantly.

But without these essential forms of media, which get information out to the public, there would be little to no information at all. The people would have to do their own research, and this would likely lead to a rapid death of journalism.

This isn't because the people don't care about releasing free information, but because their expertise just wouldn't result in quality journalism in the same way that journalists could put it all together.

Picture source: https://www.whiteeaglevision.com/the-role-of-journalism-in-the-21st-century/

Encouraging Transparency

Another key aspect of journalism is to encourage that transparency and clarity between the general public and those that could be considered 'decision-makers'.

By consistently publishing and sharing information which highlights what lawmakers and policymakers are doing, government officials are further encouraged to make better decisions which are smarter for the people in general. This is because they know that journalists will be checking up on them, releasing information to the people which genuinely explains, in an unbiased format, what the policymaker is doing.

As the NYT Editorial Board explained in their piece, 'A Free Press Needs You,' a free press is necessary to a free society. However, consistently being the decision maker in what gets published and how in our 'free press' can take a toll.

Donald Trump's recent attacks and insults directed toward journalists, simply for publishing information as journalists have been doing for centuries, are one of the many reactions journalists must deal with when playing the role of watchdog.

It can be dangerous, having to make these heavy ethical decisions with politicians breathing down journalists' backs. Yet it is the position we must take and a role we must uphold if we are to have a free press and, in turn, a free democracy.

We need people that dedicate their careers and lives to journalism, who put a clear focus on information, as knowledge and information are arguably the strongest factors in our society which lead to freedom itself.

Without information, and without the ability to access government records and understand what it is, exactly that the government is doing for its people, the people wouldn't be considered very free at all.

Knowing and understanding the choices your government makes is necessary when it comes to a free press and free people.