The big and small importance of newspapers

In the big picture, newspapers are as fundamental to our democracy as the Constitutional separation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.

Referred to as the Fourth Estate, newspapers function to not only inform the public, but to hold governmental leaders and institutions accountable for their actions.

Even though the Founding Fathers often complained of bias, untruths, vulgarities and a stench of “putrefaction” in press reporting, they ironically regarded the press as crucial to the preservation of our form of government.

The First Amendment to the Constitution e...