Freedom of the press is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, but apparently in this period of American history, members of the press may be taking their freedom for granted.
The Daily Courier, a Grants Pass newspaper, recently fired a columnist who criticized the actions of President Bush immediately following the attacks of Sept. 11. Dan Guthrie wrote that he believed President Bush was “hiding in a Nebraska hole” instead of returning to the White House after being informed of the terrorism. Guthrie further criticized the president, saying that once faced with real pressure, Bush succumbed to stress and “bolted.”
After publishing the column, the Daily Courier received so many letters criticizing Guthrie that the publisher promptly fired him and then printed an editorial apologizing for any undue anger the column may have provoked. The publisher claimed the dismissal was due to a “personnel problem.”
Columnists are paid to share their opinions, despite the popularity or lack thereof of those opinions. Some may agree with Guthrie’s assessment of President Bush’s reaction to the terrorism, while others are welcome to disagree. However, when a newspaper begins firing columnists because the writer’s ideas spark a negative backlash, the whole country’s freedom of speech is under fire.
In this period of uncertainty, every voice deserves to be heard, and it is critical that dissenting voices be heard. The First Amendment is something we need to protect as a society, no matter your opinion of George W. Bush.