The Right to Criticize

Here be dragons. -- Medieval warning to those traveling to unknown waters

"Nothing's riding on this except the First Amendment of the Constitution, freedom of the press and maybe the future of this country." -- Ben Bradlee, managing editor of the Washington Post, to reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in the film, "All the President's Men."

   The only weapon journalism has against corruption and wrongdoing is embarrassment. Some, however, especially politicians, are so full of themselves that they can't be embarrassed, no matter how strong the evidence.
   Nevertheless, they persist.
   Soon enough, however, those with the legal authority to investigate, indict, prosecute and convict are themselves embarrassed into taking action against corruption, wrongdoing or whatever else they previously either did not know about, didn't care about, or were at some level ignoring. This includes impeachable offenses by a sitting president.
   Attacking critics, meanwhile, cannot suppress criticism. At least, not in a constitutionally protected free society. Once a society loses the right to criticize, it loses a basic freedom -- the right of free speech, free speech and the right to peacefully assemble.
   Of course, the right to criticize is available to both sides of any issue, and that right is limited only by the laws of libel.
   Embarrassment, however, is not libelous, especially if the information is true.
   Nevertheless, those with some political power often try to suppress criticism by hurling insult and abuse at critics and protestors, even threatening them with violence and prison unless they conform.
   But it's not journalism's job to conform to the wishes, the agenda, even the orders of anyone, especially government officials.
   To do so would be to abandon the First Amendment right of free speech and of the press, as well as journalism's duty and responsibility to citizens. And beyond that point be dragons of disaster.
   Meanwhile, a free, independent and responsible press will continue to probe for truth beyond the allegations and behavior of those holding elective office, as well as of their associates and companions.
   To fail in this duty would be to abandon their commitment to keep citizens informed of what their government is up to.