Raehal: We stand behind Capital Gazette, journalism

Colorado Press Association: My to-do list can feel overwhelming. But it’s not important. Not when journalists are being shot down in the newsroom in the Capital Gazette in Annapolis.

My heart breaks for the victims’ families and friends, and I have to say something.

Throughout our country’s history, the press and its role have had champions and critics, and this is as it should be. The press was given tremendous responsibility and was a priority of our Founding Fathers, who placed it in the First Amendment along with Freedom of Speech and Religion.

But times have changed. We have moved into a postmodern world, in which — for many — there is no truth but only the truth that fits their narrative. We create our own thought bubbles through social media and friends. Too many of us are seeking the truth we want to believe as opposed to what is there. I see this happening on all sides of the political spectrum.

That is the opposite of what real journalists do. We are the mirror, showing the good, bad and the ugly (hopefully without being ugly).

When the press is wrong, critics are right to point it out. But the problem is critics now often refer to anything they disagree with as “Fake News,” and then go on to cite some other, not-always-reliable, source.

Visit Colorado Press Association for more.

Subscribe to Our Blog

Loading