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The Tampa Tribune Why We Champion A Free Press During Sunshine Week Imagine what America would be like without laws guaranteeing access to public records and meetings. For starters, you wouldn't know how your kid's school is performing or how politicians are spending your money. You wouldn't know if the police are using excessive force or if a child molester has moved into your neighborhood. You wouldn't know who's behind political campaigns, who serves on boards of directors, how utilities justify their rates or whether your doctor has been sued for malpractice a dozen times. Because of open records laws, we learned about the "torture memos" that predated the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Because of the Freedom of Information Act, we learned the names of passengers placed on the government's no-fly list after Sept. 11, 2001. And because of public records laws, we know when researchers have a financial stake in risky drug trials. A free press, in other words, gives you the tools to live your life and govern yourself. Yet increasingly we are told that people don't understand the media's value. A recent survey revealed almost half of 112,000 high school students polled didn't believe newspapers should publish freely. Many people distrust the motives of those who control newspapers, radio and television stations. Readers and viewers perceive bias everywhere. We've brought some of the distrust on ourselves. Talk radio skews to the right. Television networks are seen as taking sides. Newspapers don't always capture the complete story. Bloggers offer pseudo news. And plagiarism scandals at The New York Times and USA Today have made an information-battered public even more wary of the media. Moreover, we sometimes come across as brash or biased. We're not perfect, but you should know that journalists stake their professional reputations on trying to be fair and accurate. You also should know that we are sensitive to questions of privacy. We do not publish personal information about private people just because we can. Yet regularly, government officials are challenging freedom of information laws to keep us from telling you what's going on. Since 9/11, the Bush administration has become increasingly secretive with information long available to the public. And an ongoing study by the University of Florida shows that states, too, are making it harder for citizens to get the information they want. Understandably, government officials find it easier to work deals behind closed doors. But these officials work for us, the people, and we have a right to know how they use their power. Government secrecy threatens democratic values. Today we celebrate the fourth annual Sunshine Sunday in Florida, a day for newspapers and other media outlets to raise awareness about the fundamental role a free press plays in a democracy. For the first time this year, the conversation started by Florida newspapers is going nationwide. And so today we wanted to talk about how we see our role. That is, giving you the information you need to make decisions about your daily life and about the future of the country. We appreciate your support. God bless America.
Reproduced courtesy of the Tampa Tribune. |
