By checking and limiting their power, journalists affirm a sense of responsibility to the larger society, and give substance to the civic virtues they expect in others. Newspapers or other media that become dominant voices in a community will enhance the life of that community by allowing a diversity of experiences and opinions to be heard. Most newspapers print a limited selection of letters to the editor. The Harvard Crimson does the same when members of the editorial board disagree. College journalists, skilled in the use of electronic media, should be able to devise even better ways to promote richer and wider dialogue on campus.
Human beings are social animals, inclined to work together.
There are risks as well as benefits associated with that trait. The risk for journalists is that intellectual laziness will diminish personal initiative, invite plagiarism, and discourage the creativity that allows courageous individuals to see what groups sometimes miss. The best and most creative journalism will find new ways of seeing and thinking, including ways to inform people about events that can be seen as accomplishments rather than crises. Take time to listen and to think. The public rarely benefits from speedy reporting of false information.