A free press is one of the most important principles of our republic. In fact, it’s so important the Framers included “freedom of the press” in our 1st Amendment. At the time, this principle existed in several state Constitutions. The Virginia Declaration of Rights (which is the basis for our Bill of Rights) called a free press a “great bulwark of liberty.” This statement of principle regarding the role of a free press was made by our First Continental Congress:
“The last right we shall mention regards the freedom of the press. The importance of this consists, besides the advancement of truth, science, morality, and arts in general, in its diffusion of liberal sentiments on the administration of Government, its ready communication of thoughts between subjects, and its consequential promotion of union among them, whereby oppressive officers are shamed or intimidated into more honorable and just modes of conducting affairs.”
This is a rather broad statement. But, I think it’s clear. And, the early debates addressing the role of the press conveyed factual information to the American people and allowed each person to make their own decisions. Human nature is such that individual bias will have some effect on how a person communicates. That’s why it’s critical to have a free flow of information and an educated public to digest it to make the best decisions possible.
Notice the enforcement mechanism in the above statement. The federal government did not have a specific role. Remember, our Constitution is a document that limits the ability of the federal government to infringe on individual rights. If the federal government intervenes, that would itself influence the information communicated to the people. So, it’s reasonable to assume that influence would cause the information shared to be more favorable to the government. Thus, destroying the freedom of the press. Instead, the people were to hold the press accountable to this standard.
An educated public is in a better position to evaluate information, identify bias in reporting and arrive at the truth. The outlets that peddled in less credible information would be supported just as much as more credible news sources, and this would manifest in the outlet’s reputation and economic success. For instance, today we see that the National Enquirer does not have the same credibility as The Wall Street Journal.
The key ingredient in making this discernment is education. It’s no accident that one of the first initiatives of those favoring a larger role for the federal government is to attack education. A less educated public is easier to influence and more receptive to erroneous information. This affects the ability to make decisions that promote “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” and more prone to benefit the State. Thomas Jefferson described the role of education this way:
“To give to every citizen the information he needs…to understand his duties to his neighbors and country…to know his rights.”
Today’s society increasingly emphasizes making decisions solely based on individual self-interests. That was not Jefferson’s understanding, nor the intention of our founding. Each individual was expected to make decisions based on their interests – in the context of God’s instructions – and their role in a civil society.
Today, the decline in education and critical thinking skills adversely affects our republic. This is why the central mission of Convention of States Action is to teach our fellow citizens First Principles, our founding documents and the Constitution. Our purpose is to teach our friends and neighbors how to be self-governing citizens. If we don’t understand what our rights are, when they are being violated and what to do about it, then we will no longer have a free society.
Please go to Convention of States - Take Action to get involved.
In liberty,
Brett
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