Editorial: Press keeps government accountable

Most people would agree in principle that citizens should have access to their government, that the actions of government should be out in the open, and that the People should know what their government is doing. Those are some fundamental ideas with which Republicans, Democrats, and Independents generally believe in.

Government works best when it’s open and transparent so that the light of day shines on all its operations. That’s the premise of National Sunshine Week, which is being observed March 16-22. But while we may all agree on the basic ideas of Open Government, there is likely to be disagreement and even push back on making that a reality.

The only way you can be sure government operates openly is if you have a free and independent press to watch said government. The Founding Fathers understood that and enshrined the Freedom of the Press in the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Open government is further protected by open meetings laws, public information laws, and statutes that require public notice be given for a wide range of government activities.

Unfortunately, today we find ourselves in a world where government is trying to draw a curtain between its activities and the People.
With the Texas Legislature in session, Public Notice rules are in the crosshairs as state officials look for ways to move required notices from independent newspapers and news websites to government-controlled websites. This is not in any way unique to Texas. It’s happening in other states as well.

We also see outright hostility to the press and blatant efforts to silence or limit the access of reporters who are not willing to tow the ruling party’s official line.

In February, President Donald Trump’s White House denied the Associated Press access to the Oval Office and Air Force because the AP would not alter its official editorial style to call the body of water off the Texas coast the “Gulf of America.” AP, which provides news and information to a global audience, instead continues to refer to it by its centuries-old and internationally-known name, the Gulf of Mexico.

The Associated Press is not a far-left news organization. It is one of the most centric outlets you can find; but when the Enterprise shared a statement in support of the AP on our Facebook page, the reaction was eye-opening. The post generated more than 40 comments, the vast majority of which were against the press. Comments included things like, “the media is corrupt,” “there’s no such thing as good journalism anymore,” “this post is so dishonest,” “journalism is dead,” and so on.

For a newspaper that has committed itself to covering Donley County for almost 147 years and for an editor who has been reporting on this community for almost 30 years, the comments of our “fans” were disheartening to say the least. Journalism is dead? The media is corrupt? Then why the hell are you following or reading The Clarendon Enterprise?

We often hear people bash the media, but then say, “I’m not talking about the Enterprise.” Yes, you are. We all get painted with the same brush; and when Donald Trump or Greg Abbott and other influential politicians slam the media or try to handicap the press, that has ramifications for all of us. Good reporters are everywhere if you look for them. I personally know scores of journalists who work hard every day to get the story right regardless of their own personal opinions.

For a free press to work you have to allow publications and outlets of all stripes. Yes, some are way far left. Others are way far right. There are other sources in the middle – the AP and the BBC are some of your editor’s personal favorites on the national and international scene. If you just consume news you agree with, then you are part of the problem. To be a fair news consumer, you need to be open to the idea that sometimes your favorite candidate may not always act in your best interest. That goes for both parties.

We urge everyone to take some time to reflect on what’s important during National Sunshine Week. Meanwhile, we will continue to do our job to shine the light and make sure our readers are not left in the dark about important matters in our communities.