Thanks to performance artist politicians who don’t want to be contradicted by the truth, it has become vogue to dismiss any media criticism as “fake media.”

Let’s explore more deeply what is real and fake.

The word “media” refers only to the method by which a message is mass communicated. There is print media, broadcast media, internet media and social media. All media is real in that it exists and is simply a pipeline to carry communication.

Anyone can use media with virtually no accountability to the truth. Using mass media costs money most of us don’t have, but the internet gives all of us an affordable way to spew out whatever we want.  

Journalism is the practice of gathering, recording, verifying and reporting on information of public importance. We often refer to journalists as “the press” because for the longest time, the only media was via printing press.

The only constraint on communication is libel or slander. This is tough to prove in court, as you must prove the communicator knew they were lying and did so with malice to hurt someone. Journalists are expected to verify their information as true so they are more vulnerable to a libel lawsuit.  

This is why Fox News paid almost $800 million to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems.  Fox News knowingly lied about Dominion being part of election fraud.  They made a financial decision to pander to their audience rather than meet their journalistic standard to tell the truth.

They admitted to being “fake media.”

We get our Freedom of the Press instincts from England. Before we were a country, England passed a Seditious Libel law that made it a crime to publish anything disrespectful of the king. In 1734, printer John Zenger was charged with this law. He won his trial because what he printed was true.

Our Founding Fathers saw a free press as a pillar of democracy. Although they personally chafed under public criticism, they saw the press as indispensable in holding leaders and institutions accountable to the workings of a democracy.

As a 19th century English newspaper banner claimed, the newspaper is “The Tyrant’s Foe and the People’s Friend.”

Our Founders understood that the press and government may often have an adversarial relationship, but government must not attempt to de-legitimize the press because journalists are essential to a free society. This is why they included Freedom of the Press in our Bill of Rights.  In the eyes of our Founders, they would see those in government today who decry “fake media” as the opposite of patriots.

We have a pillar of democracy right here in Monroe County.  It is this newspaper, the Republic-Times.  Recently, this newspaper won 15 awards in the Illinois Press Association’s annual competition. This competition is an evaluation of journalism by peers in the field.

Last year, this newspaper did equally well.

The competition judges saw real journalism in this newspaper. County and city government meetings and decisions are covered and accurately reported, providing multiple points of view.  School boards and their decisions are reported, as are dissenting comments in board meetings. We have transparency to law and order, who is committing crimes and what punishments are determined.

This newspaper’s content contributes to our local economy. It is an advertising medium for businesses looking to attract customers. It informs us of new business start-ups and expansions, and invites us to join celebrations of business success stories.

This newspaper helps build our community. It informs us of our children’s accomplishments, in the classroom and on athletic fields. In human interest stories, we learn of the goodness and citizenship of our neighbors. When a tragedy strikes, this newspaper helps us come together to support each other in our grief.

This newspaper bravely contributes a page to sponsor community debate about issues that divide us.  Mark Tullis and I have the freedom to share an opinion and the column space to explain our perspective.  Your letters to the editor are printed to further our debate and expose each other to different viewpoints toward reaching common ground.

I have no doubt the Republic-Times is the real journalism our Founding Fathers had in mind when they enshrined Freedom of the Press in our Bill of Rights.