The Founding Fathers of the United States recognized the importance of the press, especially at that time when information spread slowly and needed to reach the masses. The press has a duty and an essential role in modern society to report and educate the public about current events around the world. They can expose corruption, like Woodward and Bernstein during Watergate; they can inform the public about injustices, such as Ida B. Wells’ exposure of the horrors in the South during lynchings; or simply serve as a reliable voice, as Walter Cronkite did. Regardless of the circumstances, the press plays a vital role in our democracy, and without it, the public would be uninformed. They report while we work, while we relax, and while we sleep. Whether it’s a phony story or agenda-setting, they still provide the public with information that must be discerned and acted upon.
The press once operated as a trusted system that reported facts; however, in modern times, it has become polarized and often does not simply report the news. The press used to act as a check on the people in Washington and on the power exerted that affects the public. In the present, this check has turned into a tool for various political organizations or parties to promote their agendas. No longer is the news impartial or a medium for the public to find facts. It is instead a dangerous tool used to weaponize the public into believing agendas.
Certain stations take certain views and either report heavily or less on certain issues depending on political views and biases. According to a study by UC Berkeley, viewers who originally watched Fox as their primary news source and changed to watching CNN for a month shared a shift in political ideologies. Once they returned to Fox, the ideologies returned.
Different news stations have become for-profit, leading to less news and more money-making attempts. Therefore, they need to continue to have a viewership, and to maintain steady viewership, they may choose to report an unimportant or fake issue, but a catchy one. The news sets the agenda and can fabricate an entirely false story, made for entertainment but presented as fact, and many will believe it. People do not check other stations anymore; they choose an echo chamber and stick to it. They want their views to be reinforced; they do not want to be disagreed with or want to argue.
The Founding Fathers’ vision, a press that helps regulate and inform the public, seemingly has been squandered. Before Watergate, the press was not as scrutinizing towards those in the public eye, nor were they so agenda-driven. However, after being presented with the idea of being able to become famous (such as Bernstein and Woodward), many seek fame and ratings rather than responsible reporting on the facts. The public has become a victim of a press and partisan politics and consequently is not able to discern between fake news, disinformation, and misinformation. The press of today is not what was envisioned by the founding fathers, as it is not separate from politics but instead a source of political influence.
