I’ve been engaged in the field of journalism for about four years now. However, throughout these years, I have never seen the media under such scrutiny as I have witnessed in recent times.
The world we live in today is a difficult one. Tensions run high as people have intensely varying political opinions. To make matters worse, our president often discredits the media, claiming certain outlets produce “fake news.” This only feeds to the idea that journalism is “the enemy of the American people,” in the words of President Donald Trump himself.
Across the globe Thursday, Aug. 16, news outlets, large and small, are writing editorials to defend our freedom of the press, as granted to us in the First Amendment. It’s time we as journalists stand up for our constitutional right that is frequently in question.
I think there is often resentment and distrust of the media because people may believe journalists are working for those in power, while the contrary is true. The media works for the everyday citizens to keep them informed on current events: the good, the bad and the ugly. Journalists dig deep to get every as many details as possible to ensure stories are told with truth, fairness and timeliness. Rather than being the enemy of the people, journalists work as allies to be certain that nothing newsworthy goes unnoticed. Without journalism, there would be a lot of information that the people would not know.
I understand where suspicion of media may stem from. Some news outlets are politically biased, making it seem like they’re fulfilling an agenda. Journalists have published false information before and corrected it afterwards. These factors among others have the power to make readers skeptical of journalism.
However, it is important to note that true journalists do not set out to confuse or lie to the public. Journalism is rooted in delivering the truth and we strive to do just that. The truth may not be what everyone wants to hear. However, just because it speaks negatively of specific people does not mean the news delivery is biased. Facts are facts and should be spread, regardless of who it may impact.
As for the future of the media, journalists are working incredibly hard every day to uncover all the facts and educate readers on current events across the globe. The course of journalism is constantly changing, and I cannot predict where it will go. However, I am certain there will always be a need for quality journalism, and journalists will continue to give every effort to fulfill this crucial duty.