Last month I wrote about the importance of voting, emphasizing that democracy is not a spectator sport. This month, my focus shifts to another essential part of a healthy democracy: a free press.

We often think of freedom of the press as something guaranteed by the First Amendment – and it is. But a free press doesn’t sustain itself. It depends on journalists willing to do difficult work, news organizations willing to stand up for their independence, and citizens who recognize the value of reliable information and are willing to support it.

The events of last week brought that home. When major news outlets were banned from the White House and other news organizations stood together in support of them, they sent a powerful message. News organizations that normally compete with one another recognized that something more fundamental was at stake. By standing together to defend press freedom, they prevailed.

Then, this weekend, my husband and I attended a gala fundraiser for the Plymouth Independent, a nonprofit, free-to-read online news organization serving the Plymouth, Massachusetts community.

We hesitated to buy tickets when we first heard about the event. We already support a number of cultural and arts organizations in our town, and there are always more worthy causes than dollars to go around.

But this was different.

The theme of the evening was “Celebrating 250 Years of the First Amendment.” Given everything happening around us, the timing felt especially significant. Along with about 300 other people, we opened our wallets for the silent auction, live auction and overall call for donations.

Why did it feel different? Continue reading →