I truly wasn't aware of the history of journalism until now. Its importance has always been evident, but I thought I was the only one who was aware. I'm astonished and proud to learn that the First Amendment protects the freedom of the press! One would assume the government would want to be in total control, yet neither branch has any control over it, and they are the ones who are making sure that the truth is told.
The fact that the first American newspaper ended in the publisher being arrested was quite believable, but I think it's impressive that in less than 80 years, freedom of the press was one of the most important assurances. Along with this information, I learned a lot about the history of American journalism- names such as Hearst, Pulitzer, Benjamin Franklin and his Poor Richard's Almanack, and Murdoch, how newspaper used to be made, and the ways in which journalism evolved: from written word to radio to television.
If freedom of the press were not guaranteed, I think that all of America would be brainwashed by the government. No one would be aware of anything that was going on around them, or what has happened in the past. George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," and I agree whole-heartedly with him; we would not be able to evolve if it were not for memory, which I believe translates into journalism: the written version of a true story.
I believe that there are certain limitations on freedom of the press now, and I'm interested to learn more about what crosses the line, in terms of censorship and how the government can decide what the public can and cannot be aware of.
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