Write 6 pages thesis on the topic who are america’s heroes. A group that might not make this list in many peoples’ minds is journalists. However, without the press and the constitutionally guaranteed freedom it enjoys in this nation, democracy could not endure. The watchdog of the government known as the ‘fourth estate’ along with the executive, judicial and legislative branches. the press protects the concerns of the people by reporting what the other three estates are engaged with. If they were to overstep their powers, the American citizens would not know if it were not dedicated journalists who consider it their patriotic duty to guard the interests of the public. This paper underscores the vital role journalists play in the continued freedom of the nation and identifies the idealistic yet unattainable goal of achieving objectivity to everyone’s satisfaction. It is a thankless, often dangerous, and demanding job but essential to the survival of the American way of life thus worthy of the title ‘American heroes.’

Journalists, as part of a free press, serve to enlighten the public regarding governmental activities as well as other items of common interest. The value of uncensored information to the continuance of democracy cannot be understated. In a society that governs itself, such as the U.S., the ability to make knowledgeable decisions based upon unfiltered information and open discussions is vital to its continued existence. Perhaps Abraham Lincoln articulated this sentiment as well as anyone when he stated, “Let the people know the facts, and the country will be safe” (Krimsky, 1997). The author of the Declaration of Independence, founder of America’s first University and third president Thomas Jefferson believed that liberty depended upon a free press, and to limit this fundamental freedom would be to lose it altogether, along with it the freedoms of the nation’s citizens.