Freedom?

It's interesting to note that everyone relies on the news for information. Whether you watch it on the television, read the newspaper, scan the homepage on your web browser, overhear a conversation, or read an opinion blog, you are being influenced by what the media tells you is important. Being able to choose where you get your information is a luxury that we seem to take for granted sometimes. Media for us means freedom.

There are many countries in the world that don’t have the right of freedom of speech. Things they say are monitored, internet sites are forbidden, and the media consumed is carefully planned and distributed. Media for these people can remind them that they don’t have a voice.

The role of Journalism in the United States depends heavily on the citizens. It’s a journalist’s job to find out what interests people, and also how to relay it truthfully. Citizens should trust the media to be truthful with the information presented. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave a talk in which he expressed some concerns for society’s future, some of which are:

• Overemphasis on rights and underemphasis on responsibility
• Diminished readership of newspapers and books
• What is or is not being taught in schools that will shape the values of our future leaders
• Destruction of trust in public figures

Most of the blame for these four things, I feel, lies with the media. To expound on one point, the destruction of trust in public figures is evident in today’s news. Journalists demean and “dig up dirt” on those that have been elected to high positions. They portray some of these people as criminals – not someone you would like to associate with. While some of the things brought to light have been thought-provoking, the office in which the individual stands should be respected – and not disgraced. A journalist’s responsibility is to make sure the truth is known, so citizens can decide for themselves where to take a stand. When society is pumped with false information and lies, it’s hard for anyone to agree, and disagreements can cause division which is a slippery slope to failure.

The primary purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the information they need to be free and self-governing.