The press in defense of liberty

Liberty is the absence of restraint. Liberty allows free movement as a person wants, association with whom he chooses, worship and political speech as he likes. The individual makes and is responsible for his own decisions. Liberty enables development to a person's ambition and capacity. Liberty is freedom and, especially, freedom from government interference.

Truth is what is. It is a fact, as far as is known at a given times. Truth is exactly contrary to falsehood. Truth allows trust, faith, respect, friendship, love. Truth is a godly virtue, as it is man's nature to take the easy way out of an unpleasant situation. It is natural to want to evade the truth when it will require sacrifice. Truth separates the honest from the dishonest, the sinner from the saint, the liar from the trusted.

Tyranny cannot be conceived, born and developed in truth. Truth is deadly to inhuman and ungodly government and situations. Also, liberty of a person, of a people, cannot survive without truth. A people's freedom is completely dependant upon their knowing the actuality of distributed information. The press is that distributor, whether the information is true or false.

The founders of our country recognized the absolute requirement for truth as the best ally of freedom from an oppressive government. Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of worship and freedom of the press were placed, prominently placed, in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The founders gave the press equal station with speech and religion.

Understand the critical nature of a free press as champion of our liberty – order Wallace's book, "A Quest for Truth: The Press in Defense of Liberty"

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A free press was not to be taken lightly. Its establishment was not a whim. Very serious, godly and farseeing men planted that guarantee of a free press for the benefit of a free people. The press was given not only a precious right, however. Along with that freedom, the founders placed a heavy responsibility; that duty was then and is now to tell the truth. Without the truth, the press is not worthy of the name. Also, without the truth, the press will not long remain, cannot remain, in any degree of freedom.

By placing the press alongside individual speech and worship, the founders elevated the press to a group second only to the ministry. The true ministry of the gospel is the highest calling in the United States. The ministry is that of the salvation of people's souls. Besides it, however, is the next highest calling – the free press. It is a work higher than medicine. Medicine can save the lives of the sick, but a free press can save both sick and healthy from imprisonment, torture and death. The free press is above the practice of the law, for that effort is intended to benefit a client, but the free press is for the benefit of the entire people. Science can help the lives of people by its development of many devices, but science has also developed extremely well in tyranny. Therefore, the free press is on a far higher place than science, which has done nothing to relieve oppression.

The free press must understand its life-giving role in out country. Reporters should not accept at face value the statements or positions of any public official, from the lowest to the highest, from the unpaid mayor of the humblest town to the president of the United States. Press releases are just that – the official line from some official who is thinking of his, his party's and his friends' good. Journalists should question and investigate every story, position, statement and claim. Nothing purported as fact should go unchallenged. No official should savor the bootlicking of a press disseminating that official's words. No free press can ever demean itself to such mere recording and broadcasting. If it does, it is no longer free.

As the free press is the highest calling except for the soul's ministry, so should the people in the press be of the highest integrity. Every reporter, journalist, writer, news producer and commentator must be above reproach in his respect for the calling. Above all, every editor must be dedicated to publishing the truth, and only the truth. Killing one story to protect someone or some policy while headlining another story to expose another is not the truth, and it is a perversion of the free press. Regardless of pressure, from whatever source, the press must be objective. A free press is essential to a free people. A free press is essential to upholding the Constitution. If the stories become biased, then the prejudice will be observed, little by little, and the people will begin to ignore the news reporters. Rather than respect for the "newsgatherers," the people will hold them in contempt, and the so-called news people will deserve the shame. A free people cannot long exist without a free press, but, neither can a free press exist without a free people. The writers of the Constitution gave out country a free press. Every member in every generation of the press must stand as a sentinel dedicated to maintaining that freedom.

Bobby O. Wallace is the author of "A Quest for Truth: The Press in Defense of Liberty."