Marketplace of Ideas

Journalism is responsible for spreading the news, and keeping the public informed. Because there is always more than one side to a story, and because the truth is so variable, journalism is responsible for presenting all possible ideas and letting people make their own informed decisions.

I think that all people ought to be aware of what is happening in the world, and journalism encourages this. Even if something happens far away, I think it affects all of us, because we all share the human experience. I think it's important to realize that things that happen to others can have an impact on all of us, and journalism has an obligation to present those stories. I think every aspect of journalism relates to this obligation, from feature stories to investigative reporting to breaking news.

Journalism should also create a marketplace of ideas so that everyone has access to the same information, which would create better social equality. This responsibility is being threatened by a phenomenon called the Digital Divide, which is discussed in this article.

Nothing about the world is perfect, and everything can be improved. Journalism needs to focused on presenting a variety of ideas so that we can consider all the options available to improve our own lives and the world. Without a marketplace of ideas, we would all be sheep, living our lives according to someone else's ideas. Journalism provides information, which is essential to a free and productive society.

Investigative Journalism

http://cironline.org/reports/plugins-kill-facebook-timeline-come-security-headaches-3840

As a young adult in the 21st century, I am an avid Facebook user. I, like so many other Facebook users, was upset when the format of the website radically changed. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a big deal. Facebook is merely an opiate of the masses, not exactly a necessity of life. However, some serious issues did arise that caused Facebook users to have a legitimate reason to dislike the new Timeline. Every post you ever wrote, and even every private message, was now on display for the world to see. Any semblance of privacy disappeared. Thus, the desire to destroy Timeline was born.

The story influenced my life on two levels: First, on a very shallow and selfish level, I wish there were legitimate plugins that could block Timeline. I don't like it. Again, I know it doesn't matter, but I find it annoying. Second, on a more serious note, it made me stop and wonder if I've ever accepted the terms of a plugin or app without first reading them. It's a scary thought. Have I ever let a hacker gain access to my private files? My debit card number? Our society has gotten so used to the Internet as a tool for entertainment that we've forgotten how dangerous it could be. This article reminded me that the Internet is not just for games. We have to be careful.

How can journalists accurately cover the news without being neutral?

If journalists were to completely strip away their biases, they would no longer be human, and thus be unable to report on information that humans care about. I think that as long as the perspective of the journalist is clear, and they stick to facts that they have proven through evidence, the news they report will be accurate. 

For instance, this article does a hilarious job contrasting the response of the Mormon church to an offensive play with the Muslim response to an offensive video. Stephens's point is clear: Why is one slanderous piece of entertainment okay but the other one worth murdering over? He is certainly not neutral about the issue, but neither does he twist facts or try to manipulate the information. Both the play and video are offensive to their respective churches. Only one church's members killed because of it. Hillary Clinton enjoyed the Book of Mormon play, but called the video mocking Muhammed "disgusting." It was a very interesting and opinionated look at a serious current event issue that stuck to the facts without being dry and emotionless.

Being emotionless is bad. We don't want robots reporting our news. We want people who are professional, but still human. 

(You can start around 2:10)

We're all one big human family. Sometimes, it's impossible to be neutral. And that's wonderful.