[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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