How newspapers give citizens a voice

Marte Jones, Las Vegas

Saturday, May 29, 2010 | 2:03 a.m.

When America was being formed in the 1700s, freedom of speech and freedom of the press were seen as crucial by our Founding Fathers. It was more simplistic then, comprised of the printing press, vocal expression, posters and billboards of the time.

Today it includes television, newspapers, radio, the Internet and many other avenues. Now it’s referred to as the media.

Besides the right to vote, voicing your opinion is crucial for society’s well-being. I don’t mean to be overly praising, but when it comes right down to it, you can be thankful that our Las Vegas newspapers and others across the nation give “all” of us an opportunity to express our views.

It’s one of the few options we have left. Good luck trying to get your views on television or radio.

If you have something on your mind that you want to share, and you have a point to make, and, of course, the language you use is proper and free of libel, there’s a good chance it will be published.

This freedom, along with others we cherish, was fought for in so many wars here and abroad. No one should be afraid to express their views, whether at a city council meeting, town-hall meeting or a letter to a newspaper’s editor.

The following is a great and powerful quote from Thomas Jefferson. It has a lot to say about the newspapers of the day and freedom of speech in general, then and now:

“Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”