Introduction
Thomas Jefferson once said that “if it were left to [him] to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without government, [he] should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” One of our very own founding fathers making such a drastic claim—that he would rather have a newspaper without government than the alternative—is not something we should take lightly. But what does it mean? Especially before the internet, journalism served as the primary way for people to get their information. Of course, sources can be biased, but when such a wide network of opinions is available to select from, people have the freedom to choose what to take in and ultimately form their belief system. Journalism in our history has maintained the American freedom of speech, allowing people to express and share their thoughts in a timeless manner.
Keep reading to find out how the art of journalism has been imperative in our history, what has changed since then, and why it is important to keep this dying industry alive.
Importance of Newspaper in American History (fight vs libel?)
Democracy is defined as a system of government in which state power is vested in the people or the general population of a state. In a true democracy, everyone has equal access to the information needed to vote and participate in other choices as a member of society; essentially, power to the people requires knowledge to the people. As a country, the way that we have maintained this concept most effectively is through the flow of information by way of writing and reading, making things like newspapers indisputably imperative to the foundation of America and the success of our democracy. One of the earliest prominent occurrences that led to the freedom of speech being cemented in the US Constitution occurred in the early 1700s when John Peter Zenger, a German-American publisher, triumphed over his charges of libel —an act of written defamation toward someone else. When Zenger (German-American publisher) was accused of libel, his entire case was based around the argument that no one should be punished for expressing their opinions; if one is telling the truth, even if it might tarnish someone’s name by sharing it, then it is not a crime. After Zenger’s case, libel was no longer a criminal offense. The case as a whole not only drove home the point that the truth needs to be shared no matter how dirty it may be but also served as a push toward one of America’s eventual first amendments: the freedom of speech, press, assembly, and petition. This right would be supported by journalism for centuries after its establishment.
Journalism today… what has changed?
The ways in which we collect, prepare, and redistribute information have changed dramatically since the founding of America. The most notable switch was the introduction of social media and the general shift into a digital age. While the digitalization of news has brought forth many benefits, it is incredibly important to consider the increased levels of bias present. While skewed opinions have always been dangerous, information moves quicker than ever and is curated to appeal to people’s online feeds based on complex algorithms, often giving off a propagandistic feel. Nevertheless, the evolution of journalism remains impressive, and the positives of how quickly information can be accessed in today’s world outweigh the downsides. Some notable technological advances that quickened the flow of information have been the invention of the printing press, radio, television, and, of course, the internet. Having news that is so easily accessible is incredibly exciting, but never forget to fact-check your sources and err on the side of caution. The best way to contrast potential media bias is by developing the ability to read a source, pull the stone-hard facts, and form a unique opinion on the topic.
Conclusion
Journalism, although considered by many to be a “dying industry,” will never lose its importance in assisting the distribution of information to American citizens. At our nation’s origins, it was a vital way for people to share their thoughts with the world and take in information that would decide who they voted to raise our country. Freedom of speech doesn’t exist if people are not provided with general knowledge. The dangers and downsides of the news industry are not something that we should ignore, but rather be aware of and used to constitute what information we decide to be reliable.
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