Democracy Needs Journalism

Democracy needs Journalism like 2pac always needed a Biggie so they’d have something to actually rap about. I believe that journalism needs democracy for it’s the one true profession that can keep the government responsible for their actions. It also gives the common man a voice, something they most often lack.

Before I explain why I feel so strongly about this, I must explain my own working definition of a democracy. A true democracy (and whether or not our country is still a democracy is a long argument for a later time) must be a government of the people, by the people, for the people. Lincoln said that’s what it was, and I agree.

We need a system of reporters and storytellers, with a right to write. A pass into events and into interviews, given to them by the founding fathers themselves. The founding fathers actually mentioned the profession of Journalism in the Bill of Rights, but why would they do this? They learned the hard way; the King of England treated them poorly. They taxed them for nothing, and they had no representation. Not only did they then create a representative government, they called upon a profession to regulate them and represent the usually unrepresented.

Another reason why journalism needs democracy is to give the people a voice who wouldn’t normally have one. Look at Antoine Dodson, a person no one had ever heard of before, who turned into an overnight celebrity. This was all because of journalists giving him a voice, albeit a hilarious one. Without journalists, a lot of stories would go unnoticed like that. From comical ones like Dodson’s, to award winning one’s like the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire investigation by the Cincinnati Enquirer. These are both examples of investigative journalism that gives people a voice and keeps the secrets in the open.

The truth is important in a democracy. If a politician does something they shouldn’t be as a public figure, the truth needs to come out. Journalists have the ability to make this happen! Journalists can let the public know things that can help shape their vote, actually making it count. An informed public is essential to the voting process. We need our citizens to know all the details about our officials before we put them in positions of power. Journalism shines here, and is so important in a democracy.

Like the feuds between 2pac and Biggie, we need journalism to give us insight to feuds we can’t see. We need journalism to help make our public strong, so the vote will count. We need journalism to give voices to voiceless, and shed light on the darkness we otherwise wouldn’t see. Democracy needs journalism.