In a thriving, living democracy, the press does not merely exist as a mouth piece for those in power. The press provides balance, holding up a mirror to the country and asking question to ensure that the democracy lives on. The problem these days in the US is that certain elected officials believe that the press should be there just to be a mouthpiece. Any media organization or reporter who says otherwise is labelled as “enemy off the people”.
For the last 17 years, David E. McCraw has been the Deputy General Counsel at the New York Times. Last month, his new book, Truth in Our Times: Inside the Fight for Press Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts was published. In the book, Mr. McCraw describes how his legal expertise was used to advise reporters and editors on news stories that might rattle some cages. He also describes how the current Presidential administration has done everything they can, short of illegally throwing journalists in jail, to stop the Times from printing certain articles.
While the New York Times is not my favorite newspaper, I admire the journalists who fight daily for our rights to free press. Written openly and candidly, this book is for those who believe in the American democracy and are willing to fight for it.
I recommend it.
Writergurlny 