What’s the difference between the press and the media?
Media derives from the Latin, “medium,” which is neither rare nor well done.
What better time to drag out this old joke than Sunshine Week, when newspapers across America remind their readers of the First Amendment?
Like a religious text, the Constitution of the United States, and its amendments, are forever subject to interpretation, thanks mostly to preachers, in the case of the former, and attorneys in the case of the latter.
But the press (that’s us) in particular, has sustained singular insulation from government over-reach, that our cohorts in the electronic media have not.
That is why the press has always had a contentious relationship with governmental administrations.
Civics class teaches us about the three branches of our government and how they were designed to serve as checks and balances upon each other, reining in where and when too much power is sought.
Our Constitution established these rules of governance but then, led by James Madison, the founder created Amendments to the Constitution precisely to protect the citizens from the government they were creating. (Sunshine Week aligns with the birthday of James Madison.)
Hubris makes me think they were listed in order of importance (at least in 1789) and thus, the First Amendment:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
These tenets are backbones of our democracy and a key characteristic that set us apart when this nation was founded.
Our right to petition the government for a redress of grievances allows us to complain and/or seek the assistance of our government without fearing punishment. Freedom of religion allows us to practice whatever faith we chose, or no faith at all. Our protection to freely peaceably assemble allows us to protest when we feel our voice is not heard.
If you’re not a sociopath, you recognize your own failings and temptations, and therefore should agree with the notion that there needs to be watchdogs to keep government in check.
For the press, that often means that if we’re not angering someone in government, we are not doing our job properly.
Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of a properly functioning democracy as is the amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech, which allows for alternative ideas to be addressed without fear of legal retaliation.
That notion can be hard to accept when speech promotes an idea of something we vehemently disagree with, but without it democracy will cease to serve its citizens.
This newspaper holds these freedoms, regardless of ideology, as the nation’s most precious and we will defend, with all of our might, your fundamental right to express them.
We will also fight to keep the government’s business (how it spends your money) transparent.
Though our federal government has its own Freedom Of Information (FOI) laws, state and local governments set their own rules but generally, they all guarantee every citizen the right to inspect and take copies of any writings of their government.
While our government requires openness it is we citizens who bear the responsibility to hold our public officials accountable.
We encourage you to take some time to look at the FOI laws and be aware of the policies of open government, whether local or national.
A vigilant and informed citizenry is our best defense against a government that oversteps its bounds.
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