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.
I'm really nervous about the field I'm about to enter. Although our constitution promises access to a free and uncensored press, I believe our current president isn’t as eager to offer that freedom.
I'm a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. I decided to be a journalist as early as middle school; I wanted to help people. I could think of no better way to use my gifts as a writer than to service my community and country with credible and accurate accounts of current events.
That's what the press intends to do: provide the public with the information they need to carry on their daily lives. To educate, and to inform. That's it. In the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism (a nationally accredited and top-ranked journalism school) we fail -- yes, fail -- assignments in which we provide a single error of fact. Our professors are pounding how important it is to be accurate. 100% accurate. We owe that much to the people that come to us for the news.
One of the greatest things about America is the freedoms the citizens hold.
Every station has their definition of what is newsworthy. There are specific outlets for entertainment, sports, politics, etc. But regardless of what is reported on, the quality of that information should remain the same. It’s the responsibility of the journalist to report news honestly. The public should be able to trust their press.
With President Trump's campaign came lots of hostility toward the press. How he can openly trash the press as the leader of America is beyond me. I feel like he is trying to quiet the voice of the press. The label "fake news" trended during his presidency. Trump would throw that label on anything he found to challenge his agenda -- and most of what he deemed "fake" has been proven to be factual. Here is a cool website that fact-checked Trump, and he seems to be the one spreading falsehood.
Trump's war on the press can be incredibly dangerous for democracy. The greatest thing about the United States of America is the freedoms we are offered. Without the free press, how are citizens supposed to learn information they need to carry on their daily lives?
Corrupt journalists exist. But you wouldn't stop seeing a doctor because you heard about a malicious doctor. You wouldn't run from a police officer because an officer wronged someone. That's not how trust works, and I sincerely believe the vast majority of journalists work hard to report well.
Trust the press. Be an advocate for us. Most of us want to share information with the public to help the public. We work hard to provide people with information that will make their lives easier. It's such a blessing to have a free press and I think people forget that. Take advantage.
Check your sources! Some things that are actually fake news come to social media -- and when they are incorrect, the press is shamed. But a lot of the articles circling social media aren't from credible sources. Do your research, and fact check.
And to the journalist: Remember what made you want to get into this business, in the first place. Remember you have an obligation to fulfill. If we had an official creed, it would be about fairness in reporting, the credibility of sources, and honesty in all our of reporting.
