Journalist George Orwell once said, “The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it.” Political pundits, analysts, journalists, etc., are warning Americans to not only pay attention to what is being said these days, but watch closely as to what is being done. The United States Constitution, namely the First Amendment, seems at risk of being stripped down to nothing. There is a brazen move to practically muzzle the people’s right to freedom of speech if they are exposing facts or are not speaking favorably to one’s liking.
Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein and Richard Milhous Nixon
The Washington Post is notorious for uncovering the truth. They, along with the New York Times, have seen such a substantial increase in subscriptions of late that the Post is looking to hire 60 more journalists. Noted for breaking one of America’s biggest political scandals in history, Watergate. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are perhaps the paper’s most famous journalist having won a Pulitzer Prize for their story. The Academy award-winning movie “All the President’s Men,” is based on the men’s journey cracking the conspiracy. All the while, then-President Nixon launched a campaign attacking the press. He was eventually forced to resign for his part in the Watergate cover-up.
In light of disturbing reports surrounding the current presidency, Carl Bernstein’s sage advice is to follow the money.
The assassination of Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist and human rights activist who strongly opposed the Chechen conflict and criticized Vladimir Putin almost religiously. Politkovskaya had been warned by former presidential candidate Irina Hakamada that the threats made on her life came straight from Vladimir Putin.
Politkovskaya was found shot to death in an elevator in her apartment building on October 7, 2006. She was 48-years-old. She had been shot four times, once in the head and a Makarov pistol, along with four shell casings were found beside her body. Reports indicate it was a contract killing. Ironically, her assassination happened on Vladimir Putin’s birthday.
Over the years, many journalists have risked and some have even lost their lives to cover wars or bring attention to matters of concern. It was the writers at the Boston Globe who exposed the Catholic church’s willingness to protect pedophile priests. During the 1800’s, it was journalist Nellie Bly who posed as a mental patient, leading to the exposure of abuse in an asylum. No, the media is not the enemy. Their job is to expose the truth and sometimes there are people who do not want that to happen. So, when society is led to believe the truth is anything but, they will hate those who speak it because they have been conditioned to do so.
