“The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
~ Thomas Jefferson
The value of a free press became evident to me long before I became dean of one of the nation’s top communications schools.
As a high school student journalist in Gahanna, Ohio, I first began to understand the importance of our First Amendment rights, and the responsibility that came with asking tough questions and empowering others through information. We informed students about school-board issues, athletics, entertainment, and social issues affecting our community and generation. Our stories aimed to inform, prompt conversations and help students, teachers and the wider community participate in informed discourse and civic engagement. These truths – that the press is a partner, aids the people and the government and is not the enemy – were already obvious to me, a budding reporter with little real-world experience outside my Columbus suburb.
What truths are obvious to me today?
Journalism – much like it did back when I was a student at Gahanna Lincoln High – offers us a place to exchange ideas, a crucial component of any free society. At its best, news reporting provides a voice for marginalized communities, while also holding people in power accountable. It is important to note that accurate reporting does not have a political leaning, but rather an obligation to share and promote the truth without bias to the best of human ability and balanced.
I do not say this lightly, but without a free press, our government – our democracy – is at risk. Our individual freedoms will be, too. The United States of America through its Fulbright and other programs historically has advocated for global press freedoms as a way to promote democracy. We have fought wars to protect it and our brave soldiers have died to honor it.
While my career path later led me to the public relations industry, working in the nonprofit sector and academia, my appreciation for America’s free press – and our First Amendment rights – has only grown. These industries and sectors, like society, are reliant on a free press. We are dependent on accurate news reporting to provide access to information and other’s opinions, so we can make our own judgments.
