The first amendment of the constitution of the United States declares a freedom of the press, perhaps one of the most powerful freedoms that we are able to experience in our country. I was on the journalism staff for three years on high school, a very mellow experience compared to the actual job of being a journalist, and by watching and hearing about journalists I grew to appreciate the men and women that serve to protect our country by keeping the citizens informed. They put their necks on the line each day, both in literal and figurative ways. Some stories call for them to act in spite of their safety while others ask for them to risk their name, their credibility, and their jobs just so that they can bring to us the newspaper with one thing: the truth.
I'm not a fan of the televised news because I feel that they are the people responsible for destroying the journalist's good name. They take whatever they can and twist whatever they can for television in order to sell, it's all about the publicity to them. My plea would be for people to remember those whose names are not well known to us, the journalists that churn out the local newspapers and are focused on telling the truth. Their jobs are based on credibility, and they take risks in order to keep the public informed on the truth. We often show our respect and appreciation for our elected officials and our troops, but I want to take a moment to pay my respects to those that fight on a different front. All that it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing, and good men can't do anything if they don't know that evil is at work. Journalists keep us informed and empower the good men to take charge and keep evil at bay.
Next time you pick up a newspaper with another boring story, just before you toss it aside think about the person that works hard day in and day out just to bring you that story so that you can be aware of what is going on around you.
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