[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 141 (Thursday, August 23, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5909-S5910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, last week, on August 16, more than 300 
newspapers across the Nation published editorials giving voice and 
testament to the vital role of a free press in our American democracy. 
It is such a crucial requisite of democracy that this role--this right 
of a free people--is embedded in our Constitution.
  The words, the actions, and the service of the free American press 
are a daily counterpoint to the vile charges by many that the press is 
``the enemy of the people''--a smear that is commonly used by despots 
in societies that do not have the freedoms that our Constitution is 
intended to ensure and protect. It is all too clear today that each new 
generation must renew the Nation's dedication to our founding 
principles and ideals.
  The Senate, on August 16, unanimously passed a resolution reaffirming 
the vital and indispensable role of the free press. I was proud to 
cosponsor that resolution. It is regrettable that such a resolution was 
even needed--or even timely.
  I am proud that several news organizations in Vermont participated on 
August 16 in publishing editorials about the importance of a free 
press. I call to the Senate's attention one of these, written by Steven 
Pappas and published in the Times Argus of Barre, VT.
  I ask unanimous consent that this editorial be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                 [From the Times Argus, Aug. 16, 2018]

                         Yes, We Are the Enemy

   [Editor's note: Across the nation today, U.S. newspapers and news 
   organizations are publishing, posting or broadcasting editorials 
opposing press-bashing. The idea was sparked by Boston Globe editorial 
   page editor Marjorie Pritchard. What follows is our voice in that 
                         chorus of solidarity.]

       We are the enemy. It's true. We say that with no 
     hesitation.
       If you abuse power, we are the enemy.

[[Page S5910]]

       When you use propaganda to mislead the people, you are the 
     enemy.
       If a public official deliberately hides documents or closes 
     meetings, we are the enemy.
       We will come after you if you are an oppressor of the 
     underprivileged.
       We will never allow anyone to silence the voices and 
     opinions of others.
       If you ignore laws and human rights, you are the enemy.
       We will call out discrimination, any willingness or 
     eagerness to hate, narrow-mindedness.
       We will exploit anyone who creates smoke to divert anyone 
     from the fires that you build.
       We are the enemy of ignorance, all ignorance.
       If you suppress, we are the enemy.
       If you scheme, we are the enemy.
       If you use conflicts of interest to gain leverage, you are 
     the enemy.
       If you are, in any form, an enemy of the public trust, 
     then, of course, we are the enemy.
       If you believe facts are subjective and truths should be 
     measured in shades of gray, then we are your enemy in black 
     and white.
       And when you say there is no need for a free press, we are 
     absolutely, unequivocally, your enemy.
       So now that we have established ourselves as your enemy, 
     know this: We are not the enemy of the people. Our readers 
     and the public are our allies against you. We represent the 
     communities we serve; we are their reflection--good, bad and 
     indifferent. They depend on us to collect, vet and present 
     information in spite of selfish motivations.
       We are the watchdogs, sometimes the only ones who will 
     stand up and say, ``Hold on.'' We will say, ``I don't think 
     so.'' We can declare, ``Out of line.'' And we are not afraid 
     to say, ``You're wrong.''
       We will kick over stones. We will ask hard questions. We 
     will separate facts from fiction.
       We will challenge you to prove yourself. We will ask you to 
     think for yourself.
       We will force you to say ``yes'' or ``no.''
       We will make you uncomfortable.
       We will hold on to certain issues like a dog with a bone, 
     until we are certain our investigation is complete.
       We will also make mistakes. And we will own them and we 
     will correct them.
       We will sometimes publish an incomplete story. But we try, 
     at all costs (and with far limited resources than ever 
     before), to avoid presenting something that could be 
     construed as ``fake news.'' That does not serve our interest 
     to be the vehicle for answers, information or truth.
       And if we are doing our job well, no one is ever really 
     happy with us. But we earn respect.
       To those who say journalists are the enemy, we definitely 
     are. We actually wear that charge as a badge of honor. We are 
     proud of the work we do and the purpose that we serve.
       Because without us, or with even a hint of a state-run 
     media, facts have no value.
       George Seldes was fond of quoting Abraham Lincoln, who, 
     during the Civil War, once famously said, ``I am a firm 
     believer in the people. If given the truth they can be 
     depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is 
     to bring them the real facts.''
       Seldes was an investigative journalist, correspondent, 
     editor and author. He lived in Hartland Four Corners and died 
     in 1995 at the age of 104. Over the course of his career, 
     Seldes influenced many young people to become journalists. He 
     also was hated for standing up to authority, both in foreign 
     nations for his news coverage, and at home for his harsh 
     criticism of the American press. But he did journalism a 
     favor by being everyone's enemy and making us all squirm and 
     question roles--both as consumers of news and newsmakers.
       James Russell Wiggins, a career journalist who worked for 
     The Washington Post and later retired to Maine, summarized 
     the thread of the Fourth Estate's purpose as this: 
     ``Americans will be tempted, in the years ahead, to sacrifice 
     the principles that have made their country what it is. It 
     will seem appropriate and convenient to meet the demands of 
     crisis by bending a little here and giving a little there. It 
     is an inclination that will have to be resisted at the first 
     trespass upon our freedoms, or other invasions of individual 
     rights will come swiftly upon us.''
       That day is here, friends.

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