I find this quote, and the principle it espouses, to be extremely relevant to our time. With the biggest election of our time, and possible of all time, just recently behind us, the people and workings behind our government are in the lime light in a way they never have been before. The public has an interest in how Washington runs, and more importantly, how Washington affects them. It was critical for anyone who voted in November to not only know about the candidates and where they stood, but to understand where they were coming from and what their plans are. The idea that journalists not only inform but educate in this manner is heartening. It means that journalists not only guard against abuses of power, but help shape this country in the best way possible. They help the country make informed decisions. They help put a background of information in people's minds, so that decisions and action comes from an educated platform rather than an instinctual or less informed one.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Elements of Journalism
"Today journalists continue to see the watchdog role as central to their work...As history showed us, it [the watchdog role] properly means watching over the powerful few in society on behalf of the many to guard against tyranny. The purpose of the watchdog role also extends beyond simply making the management of execution of power transparent, to making known and understood the effects of that power."
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2 comments:
Your quote is from my favorite section of the reading!
You make a really important distinction in your analysis but also raise a very interesting question: what is education, especially on political issues?
I think education can easily become pontificating on issues as hotly debated as political ones.
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