FREE THE FREE PRESS

Our federal government should not be able to stifle criticism of it and of its officials. That’s the only reason for Freedom of the press being included in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Also, that is the reason for freedom of speech. The other four freedoms in the amendment – religion, exercise of religion, assembly, petition for redress of grievances – are clearly established there to protect citizens from their governors.

Much to our endangerment, government somehow has become to be seen as the source of all good. Government under our system was designed to be a necessary restriction on selfishness. Some societal rules are required for people to live together in peace and justice. Freedom differs from unbridled liberty. Our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms must be protected. Those benefitted have the obligation to defend those freedoms.  

The government obviously will not. When it goes too far, it is the government, not our government.

One segment of the citizenry has a heightened obligation to defend our freedoms by criticizing government gone wrong. That is the press in all its modern iterations. Back when the Constitution was written the printing press was the only up-to-date method of communication, augmented by a postal service that also delivered letters and documents that were literally penned.

Honestly, the press of post-colonial times had no fair and balanced reputation. It was highly partisan and called names that were dirtier than today, albeit sometimes quite literary. Yet apparently, despite the cost of printing, sufficient voices were heard to communicate what was happening in government without undue secrecy.

Skipping ahead to now, newspapers are partisan still but with less vitriol. Unfortunately the partisanship is practiced by underplaying or even ignoring some important governmental indiscretions or malfeasance. Television and radio are divided in the same way, but perhaps with more intensity because of their nature. Print and broadcast and cable are all held back in news coverage by the very cost of news gathering. Internet is coming to the fore and to a great extent is not edited as well as it might be. The latter does benefit from individual initiative, but sometimes with too much exuberance; and it has an inherent advantage of being capable of combing print, sound and moving images. All in all, the cacophony of voices may be too much. Information is difficult to assimilate.  

Regardless of party affiliation or inclination, a citizen and voter has to admit our national government has real and immediate problems in sustaining itself fiscally and in scope.

Washington is bankrupt. Washington has reached into nearly every nook and corner of human experience. Its operatives wish to fix all problems, which it cannot, and its attempts to do so can’t be paid for despite its power to collect money.l

Something has to give. Government has run amuck.

All channels of communication deal with exposition of the problems within and without government. Few citizens are satisfied with what they are hearing and witnessing. Politicians are loath to do anything but talk.

Any solutions proffered, regardless of the source, are attacked even if only tentative or offered as starting points for debate.

News gathering and its dissemination in the halcyon days of journalism – the 1950s, it could be argued – meant that the editorial content was kept separate from the editorial pages and the advertising. That was the ideal; an ideal not always met. Yet, it was the aim. Reporters and news editors gave more than mere recognition to that goal. An argument can be pretty well backed up that in this still young century such an ideal is rarely defended much less accomplished.

As with life itself, in the news business ideals are preached but rarely achieved. A little more effort, a little more dedication, a little more appreciation of the real necessity of a free press might do some good in uncovering and explaining the sins of government and – where they exist – its virtues.

First principles of a free country exist. We must insist they be used. The press in its multiple forms must watch government, the would-be master. Information that is gathered should then be marshaled so that constituents can vote intelligently.

If the people, to whom their government is to answer and to serve, do their job their servants will do theirs.