Last week, junior Davan Reece wrote an opinion piece titled “The State of the Press” where he analyzed the current and future state of journalism. Reece argued “Journalism in America, and the world for that matter, will never die. It may change or adapt overtime, but it will never perish.”

I argue that the current state of journalism is in danger. News reporters receive an onslaught of attacks daily and not only as a result of the current administration but also by the people they rely on to report the truth of daily and current events. Being from Mississippi, I’m sure we all have that one extreme right-wing uncle who often takes his political frustration out on one of the epicenters of “fake news,” Facebook. Here you can see the American people attacking credible sources of media from the likes of ABC, CNN, MSNBC, calling them “fake news,” frankly because they do not adhere to a chosen opinion, all the while sharing posts about how cancer is cured of cutting out sugar from a diet (this is actually a post that has been making its way around Facebook).

The problem with the current state of the media is not the attempted silencing of the news by Trump; rather, it is the refusal on the part of the American people to be informed citizens.

The idea of the Fourth Estate plays directly into the structure of the American Government. The first three estates are the three branches of government every American can recite from their high school Government class: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. The Fourth Estate is a theory claiming the press acts as a fourth power to balance out each branch of government. Their job is to report the news to the American people so that none are left in the dark on the matters that concern them.

As prominent and important as this establishment is one would wonder, “How is it dying? How is it on its way out?” My answer is that this slow deterioration of journalism is because of the American people.

It is the American people who are refusing the truth. It is the American people who have bought into the dirty politics of Washington. It is the American people who have been brainwashed by the leaders in Washington into believing there is only one valid news source, that any other source is “fake news.”

This is why journalism is in danger. If the American people do not want the truth, nothing can save it. Americans have turned from a nation of idealizing the Constitution and prudently practicing its first amendment right into a mosh pit of “I can say anything I want because of the first amendment.” This is a toxic way of thinking that leads only to denial when confronted with the truth. This the truth that journalists ethically cover and report on.

Let me take a step back real quick. I’m not saying I want journalism to die; in fact, I want the exact opposite. Journalism is more important than ever and Americans need to take initiative to challenge the trends the public is currently taking in its ignorance towards the truth. 

A teacher once told me to never trust just one media outlet to cover a news story. He said to look at both stories, consider both points of view on the coverage and then, once the entire truth was revealed, then form your own opinions.

I believe this is the attitude America needs to turn back towards in order for journalism to remain relevant– not just for the views but for the better, for each individual’s pursuit of truth.