America's Press

4 Pages 928 Words

A Brief History

America's press has never been perfect. Far from it.

Our first newspapers were highly partisan, mean-spirited and completely

unprofessional by today's standards.

But crude as they were, these so-called "scandalmongers" served as the public's
watchdog of government and of its powerful friends, despite an early misguided
effort through the Alien and Sedition Act to neuter the watchdog.

The more enlightened of our founding fathers understood that an independent, free
and unfettered press was critical to engaging the populace in its democracy, and
that such engagement was essential for representative government to work.

They intuitively knew that an independent press would evolve as the country
evolved. That there would be - that there needed to be -- a multitude of voices to
represent the diverse opinions, interests and backgrounds of the population.

The key to preserving this leg of the democracy stool was to protect it from
external controls, whether from the government through laws restraining its
freedom, or from individuals or businesses chilling its independence through
harassing litigation.

The principle was so important it became the stepping off point for the Bill of
Rights. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and the Supreme
Court's interpretation of it through the last century. All of which ensured the
evolution of a diverse and truly free press.

The expansion of our press, paralleled the expanded participation of our citizens
in their own government. This was critical. Without expanded inclusion, American
democracy would have failed because so many of our people would not have had a
stake in its survival.

Until the last decade or two, this evolution was generally for the better. It
fostered individual rights, more inclusion in the social, economic and political
life of the country, and it spurred greater standards of public accountability and
ethical behavio...