This is the Manager’s Minute.
The start of the New Year is a good time to remember the basis for our work as journalists: The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
It was ratified on December 15th, 1791 – just over 227 years ago.
In only 45 words, the First Amendment establishes freedom of religion, speech and the press, the right to assemble and the right to petition the government.
In essence, it means the press has a right to publish with limited restrictions imposed by law, without government censorship.
That principle supports the idea that a free press is essential to a democracy in which the government is accountable to the people; where the media serve to check powerful institutions, notably the government.
That’s a responsibility that demands ethical journalism. In 2019, KGOU re-affirms our commitment to seeking the truth, serving the public and respecting the rights (and obligations) granted to us under the First Amendment.
Until next time, with the Manager’s Minute, I’m Dick Pryor.
