We work in very diff. fields and have seen the abuses by the press.

We have had the press write some things about an incident in a bathroom at our school that never even occurred. It was flat out wrong. Our city paper never even retracted it. The incident report went away, and people asked to know more about the incident, and what was done to the students involved. The press never wrote another word about the incident. There were no names, no one involved, because the incident never happened. (I imagine some reporters got roundly scolded though; in fact one reporter is not a reporter for that paper anymore... dont know if this incident caused it.)

But... The press is given our scores on certain standardized tests. They are given our ideas about how we plan to bring lower income students scores up. We are held accountable in the community by the students, parents and by the press. We have been rated as one of the top public schools in Texas, and also not even made a list of high performing schools that has one of the worst perfoming schools in our district on that very list. Our Principal is asked to explain the differences by the press. To explain the diff. in criteria used to rate the school.
But this is not nearly as easy to judge as watching a game. The criteria must be explained and weighed. I cant visit courtrooms, China, etc...

I dont know what I am trying to say anymore other than the press is part of what makes this country great. Places that do not have an active press, are not places I would want to live. Entertainment and abuses aside, the role is vital. When a country starts to shut down TV and radio stations... something is very wrong. Information, and possible explainations about what the information means are vital. I dont know all the nuiances of Supreme Court rulings, I need a little help besides just straight information.