Freedom of press is everyone's freedom
The right to publicly examine our public records and officials is the only way to guard every other right. James Madison said something like that a couple hundred years ago, and it still holds true today, which is why his birthday, March 16, is celebrated as Freedom of Information Day.
As a newspaper employee, it's my job to not only tell the sweet stories in the community, but to get public information out to the public. Sometimes at this paper we donÕt have the time or resources to push as hard as we should, but we try to ask all the right questions to tell you the story... and hopefully the story behind the story.
I make my living asking questions and sitting through government meetings, but that doesn't mean I'm privy to information that the general public isn't. I have no special rights - I'm just here to make sure someone acts on them.
I'm just one of you doing my best to get the whole story.
That's why it's hard for me to understand why so many people have resentments toward members of the press, on the national or local level.
We're looking for facts and telling a story. Sometimes there's a blunder, but what person doesn't make one on the job? Ours just happens to be out there for everyone to criticize.
Even James Madison, who was a part of such things as the Continental Congress and the Bill of Rights, said, ... "To the press alone, checkered as it is with abuses, the world is indebted for all the triumphs which have been gained by reason and humanity over error and oppression."
When we publish a story about something nasty, criminal or just downright interesting, it's not because we want to create negative feelings; it's because you have a right to know.
You have a right to know what businesses are requesting financial help from taxpayer funds. You have a right to know what crimes are under investigation and what status those investigations are at. You have a right to know who isn't paying their taxes, and you have a right to know which government bodies pay companies for construction projects.
Getting criticized for reporting on these things can either make me angry or hurt my feelings, depending on the day.
But be careful when you bad-mouth the paper because information made someone look bad. Don't ask us to hold something back or to wait for the press release.
Doing that could block information, which causes an obstacle to freedom. And that should be a concern to all Americans, whether they're fans of the media or not.
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