Just as the wolf strengthens the herd by removing the weak and the sick, journalism strengthens democracy by exposing politicians who are a danger to society.
Popular politicians often attack journalists who criticize their work, since their supporters will believe them before they believe news reports, especially if a politician warns of "a danger to society." This was evident some 70 years ago as Sen. Joseph McCarthy spoke repeatedly of a "Communist menace."
As long as a politician keeps his popularity, he can increase his rhetoric. But when that rhetoric loses its believability, a politician's popularity diminishes, and journalists increase their exposures of his half-truths, misinformation and sometimes outright lies, just as a wolf pack moves in on a weak or sick member of a caribou herd.
This is not to denigrate wolves or journalism, but only to describe the phenomenon. By thinning the herd of its weakest or sickest members, the wolf pack makes the caribou herd strong.
So also, by exposing a weak or phony government official, journalism makes democracy stronger.
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