About the Press

Yes, we need a free press. 

And an unbiased press without an agenda of its own.

And an educated electorate who is media literate and does not consume the press blindly.

We have a free press.

But that press seems to have an agenda that goes beyond a fair and full reporting of the news. 

And I am not sure about the electorate’s media literacy or whether it simply accepts without question what its chosen media provider presents.

So, no, a free press is not the enemy of the people; it is a necessary element of democracy.  But, a press which believes it has a purpose beyond full and fair reporting, that believes it has a duty to further its own agenda which may be biased for or against a particular person or policy about which it is reporting, is not a friend to democracy.  Rather, it approaches a form of propaganda which is indeed an enemy of democracy, especially when the public lacks in media literacy.

I have already addressed the duty of the public to demand a fair and unbiased press (see my post dated Feb. 13, 2107, The Audience’s Responsibility to Demand Unbiased Reporting  http://ps.pinkspolitics.com/2017/02/the-audiences-responsibility-to-demand.html ).    The press also has a duty: to fairly report the actions and inactions of the government so that the public can be fully informed.  With that information, it is the public’s duty, using the many means available within our democracy, to effect changes in the government that it deems necessary.  It is not the responsibility of the press to effect those changes. 

The press is often referred to as the fourth estate, meaning that it is an important power or influence in our society that is not officially recognized.  That power (like any power) can be used for good or evil.  It is good when it furthers the provision to the people of important and relevant facts.   It is not so good when it is used for propaganda that spreads biased information in order to promote a particular policy or political position.   Propaganda is used in many dictatorships and when the press is the instrument of that propaganda, it is indeed the enemy of a free society and hence, the enemy of the people.

So, the real question in the current fight between the president and the press is: what press are we talking about?  One that fairly and fully reports to the people or one that serves as a propaganda provider?  Can we fit the many media sources all into one category or another?  No, I don’t think so.  Some are admirably following the good goals of the fourth estate, some are doing so some of the time or partially, and some are rarely, if ever, serving the laudable goals of a free press in a democracy.  But, I think that if one objectively looks at the media in this country today, one must admit that many in the media believe it is perfectly OK, if not their duty, to serve as a purveyor of propaganda for one view or another.  This is not the free press that is essential to a democracy and it is not the sort of power that we should allow to the fourth estate. 

Media is a big business and often a way to succeed in that business is to fall outside of the definitions and ethics of a free and fair press.  The public can rectify this by refusing to purchase or consume media that is not truly serving the goals of a free press in a democracy.  As a business, the media will respond to the demands of its consumers.  So let us all demand only the highest standards of truth, fairness, full, and fair reporting from all our media sources that make up our fourth estate.