Journalists need a good advocacy program, some serious public relations efforts to remind people why journalism is important, why a free press is so essential. Here are some suggestions that aim to inform the public and change their attitude toward the press:
1. Fact checking:
Why doesn’t the New York Times and other newspapers make it clear front and center what they do to verify facts?
- Make it clear that there are multiple sources and statistics are always backed up.
- Make public the number of people whose sole job it is to check the facts.
- Make more prominent the relationship between newspapers and fact-checking organizations.
- Spell out the fact that journalists are not allowed to vote, protest, and remind people of how much they give up because of their work on our behalf in the name of truth.
- Let’s develop a way that it’s easy to compare publication to publication, some chart almost like calories on a package of food. PolitFact ranking of X vs. Fox News ranking of Y
2. And speaking of truth,