Since society has entered a time where misinformation spreads like wildfire and social media has shrunk attention spans, the role of journalism is more essential today than ever. Newsrooms are downsizing. Local newspapers are shuttering while others are being bought out by corporate interests. Even though trust in the media has been low, it’s declining even more now. The Trump Administration took action and banned the Associated Press from the White House press pool earlier this year, according to the Associated Press; however, journalism still remains the fourth pillar of a functioning democracy.
At their strongest, journalists hold those in power accountable, give voices to the voiceless and provide communities with information they need to make sound decisions. From exposing corruption like the Watergate scandal to documenting climate change, journalists are at the forefront of society’s most pressing issues. Journalists are not just writing stories, they are the watchdogs, educators and most of the time, the first responders to the truth.
“I wake up every morning and I don’t know what I’m going to do for the day,” said Hannah Fry, L.A. Times breaking news reporter during a student journalist symposium held in Long Beach in March.
Fry was home, decompressing with her son after a full eight-hour shift, when she received a phone call from the night breaking news editor at the L.A. Times asked to cover a shooting that had happened, and Fry was the closest. She took a breath, said yes and immediately got to work.
“I picked up the phone as I am putting on real clothes,” said Fry. “I’m getting the five W’s.”
She went out to the scene and updated the story of an ex-cop killing three people and wounding six others including his ex-wife as quickly as she could, sending information to the editor. By the time it was midnight, she went home to catch a couple of hours of sleep and went back to repeat that all over again.
Hannah Fry is just one example of why journalism matters and the service it is to the public. But the role of a journalist doesn’t come without a cost.
There is a constant battle that reporters are constantly facing. On a daily basis, journalists are receiving pressure, backlash and legal threats all while witnessing horrifying events that will never truly fade. One wrong word or misunderstood context will fall on the journalist, not the source. Legal action, demand and career ending mistakes linger in the back of journalists’ minds. Scenes of homes burnt down, homeless encampments and dead bodies littering the ground are what many can put behind them, but not journalists.
The role is demanding, and not just emotionally and mentally. Journalists’ lives are threatened. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 178 journalists and media workers have died since the Israel-Gaza war started on October 7, 2023. CPJ states that it has been the deadliest period for journalists since the organization began gathering data in 1992.
Despite it all, journalists continue to persist.
They continue to show up, even if they are not welcomed. With the rise of social media, journalists have and will continue to show up. Without journalism, the truth becomes whatever is easy to believe and not facts. The public remains in the dark. Communities cannot make informed decisions. Injustice increases.
This is the reason why journalism matters.
From national coverage of the White House to a college student covering campus news, it is essential to cover the history that is occurring, no matter how big.
In a time where the voices are heavily silenced, journalists work hard to amplify those voices. It is a service that is essential now more than ever.
