A Free Press: Boisterous Watchdog of Democracy

Freedom of the press has always been boisterous, from the earliest days of the American republic, but it has always been viewed as an essential check on government power. In the 20th century, when news media generally adhered to common (and high) standards of objectivity, public trust was robust. In the 21st century, social media have revived an earlier tradition of highly opinionated information and questionable accuracy. When everyone is a publisher, and even basic facts are often in dispute, how can the news consumer know what to believe? Public television has retained the trust of a remarkable range of ideological competitors, but views of other media now reflect sharp political divides. Can anything be done to restore widespread trust in the news media?