The First Amendment clearly states that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press. Now, as the president of the United States tries to delegitimize the media and calls the press “the enemy of the people,” we must stand up to defend our constitution.
Every day people from all across this great nation turn to our journalists for information, a voice they can trust, and for witty episode recaps of The Real Housewives of New York. That is what is at risk in this political climate. The freedom of the press allows for open and honest discussions about the issues that matter, like whether or not Bethenny was right to tell Luann that her boyfriend was cheating on her, or if Dorinda’s meltdown in the Berkshires was warranted.
But that isn’t all that’s at risk. Imagine an America with no press junkets where Jennifer Lawrence talks about pizza, where nobody knows whether the cast of Ocean’s Eight plays fun pranks on set, and with no new information on Mama June’s weight loss.
The press ensures that the information we’re presented with is information that we can trust. Imagine if the only news we heard was from the government. What if Sean Spicer, and only Sean Spicer, was the one who told us the five things Lea Michele eats in a day to keep her summer body? With no other source of information, we would blindly trust him, and no man should have that kind of power.
With that kind of control the government would be able to spin, or even fabricate the news to benefit itself. Imagine a world filled with stories about how Jennifer Aniston refuses to have a baby until the border wall is built. Or reading that the next season of The Good Fight will focus on Christine Baranski’s mission to repeal and replace Obamacare.
What if Kellyanne Conway told America that to get Katie Holmes’s new hairstyle they’d have to support a Muslim ban and use leave-in conditioner? Would they obey? Of course they would. And sooner or later Mike Pence will be telling people that John Legend also calls his wife, Chrissy Teigen, “mother” and can’t eat alone with another woman.
And it’s not just about holding the government accountable, the press’s reach is far greater than just that. It’s about holding Gwyneth Paltrow accountable. If “goop” is what she does under the critical eye of the press, imagine just how out of control she would be without it. America can’t handle a $600 all-natural organic butternut squash face and vaginal peel.
We can’t forget about the serious investigative reporting we’d be missing out on as well. Think about the work put into obtaining the video footage of Reese Witherspoon’s unjust arrest, the detailed reporting on the cast shake-ups at The View, or the hours put into uncovering where the cast of Blossom is now.
Without these hard working journalists, the public wouldn’t be able to make educated and informed decisions. Is it worth the money to see Taylor Swift live? Have we, as a society, forgiven John Mayer? Will Ryan Seacrest just be another man who’ll break Kelly Ripa’s heart? Who should we vote for on The Voice? How does Jennifer Lopez balance work and life? These are all questions we wouldn’t be able to answer without the First Amendment and the journalists protected under it.
Journalism is a crucial part of a successful democracy. Without open discussions about the latest Housewives episodes, reports on Jennifer Garner’s divorce, and oral histories of Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Donald Trump wins and our free press dies.