In one minute, a message was made clear: Democracy dies in darkness.
There were plenty of commercials aired on Super Bowl Sunday but only one (apart from Avengers: Endgame) really caught my eye.
The Washington Post aired their own Super Bowl commercial this year and they highlighted how important journalism is for us, not only as a nation, but for the world.
Reporting the news will never just be someone sitting at a desk typing their life away. There are journalists out there who sacrifice their lives to make sure information is heard and that no one is left not knowing. In their ad, the Washington Post showed reporters who have been slain or gone missing while doing their job.
Austin Tice, a reporter who has been missing for more than six years in Syria. Although his whereabouts are unknown, he is believed to be alive.
Marie Colvin, who, before going on her last journalistic mission in Syria that would end in her death, hesitated to go, but was reported to have said, “No, I have to go. I must see what is going on.”
Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist who spoke out against his own country — Saudi Arabia — when he believed they were going down the wrong path, was killed while vising its consulate in Turkey.Image source: Pexels
It is horrid for me to think that there are people, such as the three above, who were simply trying to communicate the truth to us, the public, soemthing that cost them more than they could ever imagine. But maybe they already knew that. They probably knew the cost. Yet they sought after the facts anyway, risking it all.
These journalists are heroes in my eyes.
During an age in which the term “fake news” is thrown around by people in power, discrediting individuals like Austin Tice, Marie Colvin, and Jamal Khashoggi, it is of absolute shame someone would go so low as to insult them in this way. Yet there are people who do.
Now, I am not saying that the news, press, or media have been right all the time. They have their faults too. But when the going gets rough, they are there ready to get the infromation we need to know, so that we can be aware, and be prepared to speak up when necessary.
Get out there, get informed. These journalists are providing this often times crucial information to you on a daily, read it! If you did not know, UC Davis students actually do get access to the New York Times for FREE. Maybe you are not much of a newspaper reader, check out some amazing news podcasts you can listen to while walking or biking to class (my personal favorite, The Daily). Or maybe you are a visual person, watch the news! There is your typical evening news, or maybe you can watch the latest headlines in one-minute courtesy of BBC, or even watch Stay Tuned on Snapchat.
Never underestimate the power of journalism and what it does for us. Do your part to make sure it stays protected so that we can stay informed.
Knowledge is power after all. Image source: Pexels