Words can be dangerous. That’s a fact every journalist takes to heart. We know the power of words, which is why we strive to be fair and accurate in our reporting. And when we make a mistake, we do our best to own it, correct it and try harder as we move forward.
Last week, The Boston Globe called for this country’s newspapers to come together and, with one voice, denounce the sentiment that we are the “enemy of the people.” The plan was for these columns to run on Aug. 16 but, being a weekly publication, this is as close to the mark as we could get.
If you happen to read my columns, you’ll know that I don’t typically get too political in my commentary. Even on social media, I try to keep my personal politics out of the conversation the vast majority of the time. I obviously have opinions on those topics but, as the editor of a community newspaper, I try not to let those flags fly too high, too often.
But I was recently reminded that sometimes the newspaper needs to step in and take a stand on important matters.
While I’ve always believed that from an editorial standpoint, I have trouble exercising that same belief when it comes to expressing my opinion. I don’t know if it’s from fear of stepping on toes with “my two cents” or simply fear that nobody wants to know what I “really think.”
But this particular topic hits close to home and it’s something I feel very strongly about, which is why I’ve decided to break with tradition for at least this one week.
To be clear, I still do not consider this a political matter. Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, Independent, Tea Partier or non-voter, I think we can all agree that the issue at hand has less to do with political views and everything to do with a concerted effort against a group of people whose very job is to hold the powerful accountable.
Again, I’m not saying we always stick the landing, but ask yourself what the term “fake news” actually means.
For our current administration, it typically means those stories that have the audacity to speak against them. Keep in mind that the journalists being accused of this “fake news” typically have stats, figures, facts, quotes and more on their side when making their reports. But since they dare to contradict the leader of the free world, the folks who report these stories must therefore be “the enemy of the people.”
I’d argue they’re actually the last line of defense, which is why these constant attacks are so alarming.
I realize that these types of attacks are more directly aimed at national outlets, places where this administration’s actions are constantly held under a microscope. But attacks on the free press have an impact on everyone whose job it is to report the news. We know that if something is said enough times and with enough volume, it starts to become the truth in the minds of many. It’s just another example of the power of words and why the abuse of that power is so very, very dangerous.
Flip through these pages and what do you see? You see information about the upcoming election. You’ll find pictures of local parents taking their kids to their first day of school. You’ll discover details about our clubs and churches, read about upcoming events and even stumble across the occasional photo or submission provided by a member of this community. Heck, this issue contains two editorial corrections, once again demonstrating that, if we make a mistake, we do our best to own it.
The whole point of the free press is to shine a light on the world around us; the good and the bad, the big and the small. The stakes may be a bit lower here in Fountain Hills, but we still take that responsibility seriously. So when we hear our president calling us the enemy of the people, and we hear the men and women of this country echoing that sentiment, it causes a reaction quite a bit more dire than the “concern” our elected officials seem so eager to state but never quite moved to act on.
How do they not see the danger in creating such extreme animosity toward any group of people, be it the press or otherwise? How is this behavior acceptable from the individuals who are supposed to serve as our elected leaders? How is this behavior acceptable in any of us?
I’m not sure how other publications around the country will choose to tackle this subject, but I’m not here to call names or hurl insults. I’m not going to bash our president or the people who echo his sentiments about the press and its role in this country.
I’m simply here to say that we are not your enemy. We are your neighbors, friends and family members. We’re just like every other hard-working individual in this country; our job just happens to be gathering facts and reporting the truth.
I’ll end with a quote from writer and activist Alice Walker, because she says so eloquently in a couple dozen words what I’ve been stumbling over for nearly a thousand.
“As long as the people don’t fear the truth, there is hope. For once they fear it, the one who tells it doesn’t stand a chance. And today, truth is still beautiful…but so frightening.”
