That headline is on the bottom of all emails from friend and Michigan Press Association Public Affairs Manager Lisa McGraw. It is a constant reminder of the important responsibility that newspapers must keep in mind and strive to fulfill.
Expounding on that idea, it is accurate to state that democracy needs journalism, and all of us.
Few people, if any, would debate the fact that our country is widely divided politically. Pundits on both sides of the aisle spew vitriolic commentary and seem to want to inflame the emotions of their party faithful. Talk of trying to unite us and bring the country together often appears to be lip-service.
A would-be-assassin’s bullet missed its target, former President Donald Trump. We are grateful the bullet grazed his ear and did not execute its intended mission.
After-the-fact, both parties have vowed to tone down the rhetoric and focus on bringing our nation together. The focus of the campaign should get back to forward-thinking actions to unite our country and move us toward better days, not continue to dwell on and debate the past.
It remains to be seen if the shots fired will begin to lead to a genuine healing of old wounds, or merely open a new one.
Thisiswherewecomein. Integrityand responsibility must rule our actions.
It is easy to blame politicians, social media and ‘the other side’ for being the root cause of the division in our country. But it is not. It is all of us. If the tone is to change, integrity and civility must be forefront in all we do.
We cannot always control the actions of others. But we have complete control of what we do. No one is responsible for our words and actions except for ourselves.
Our words matter. Our speech matters. What we write and share matters. How we treat others matters.
As journalists we have the privilege and responsibility to communicate to a wide audience. We play an important role in disseminating information important to our communities. We must embrace the responsibility of always being fair, unbiased and truthful in all we do.
We are challenged to keep to the middle ground and not be influenced by personal beliefs or feelings in our reporting. Cover all sides of an issue and let the reader decide how they choose to interpret and react to the story.
We cannot control the thoughts and actions of others, but we can arm them with factual information with which to use in their decision making. Then we hope they make a responsible decision in a given situation.
The coming months will be interesting to say the least. Will those old wounds heal, or will disunity widen?
The answer lies with everyone. And it lies with us as journalists as we document the history that has yet to be played out. We will be challenged, criticized, praised and relied on. We must rise to the challenge and stay above the fray.
So too, all of us must be aware of our words andactions. Therearemanysourcesthatmay try to influence what we do and say, but it is entirely up to each of us how we react.
So yes, democracy does need journalism. And it needs all of us.
