There are many people in various levels of leadership who really don’t believe in a ‘free press’ or ‘freedom of speech’ and I am saddened by this. Let us just say, I have heard enough people say the trite, “the people don’t know what’s good for them” as well as the ” I can’t believe Reagan won (80%), because everyone I knew voted for McGovern! (McGovern won only his home state of Minnesota)” to wonder why they really aren’t listening to the rest of us? The unfortunate truth is that we are always one heartbeat from losing our objectivity. When we (and they) listen, we all benefit.
There was a time before Matt Drudge, Fox News, the Huffington Post and nationally syndicated alternative radio talk show hosts where the news was interpreted for us by a few national media outlets and locally by newspapers. Interestingly enough, media folks in those days referred to themselves as ‘moderates’, which amused most everyone. In the ‘old days’, it was almost impossible to have your voice heard, even on the local level. It was an almost impossible task to even stand toe-to-toe with a local newspaper editor… as has been often quoted: “Never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel and paper by the ton.” This has all changed for the better with the internet. Today, scandals that would have been swept under the rug get to see the light of day. Stories unpopular with powerful entities get a chance to be played. Common sense rules the marketplace of ideas…. but there are those who do not like this at all.
So, I am reminded that without a true freedom of the press and free speech, none of our other ‘rights’ mean much.
Thank you to all those who present another point of view regardless of that part of the political spectrum you sit…. even on the local level.
