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We experience many things firsthand. We [br]know what happened because we were there.  

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Since it's not possible to see everything for [br]ourselves we must rely on the reports of others.

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At professional news, organizations the job [br]of creating these reports is done through a  

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process of journalism. Journalism is [br]the practice of gathering, assessing,  

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and presenting news and information for print, [br]broadcast or the internet. The job of a journalist  

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is to conduct research, check facts, and present [br]accurate reports that explain issues and events.  

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Journalism can cover any topic from sports [br]to entertainment to health to politics.

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Journalism produced by news organizations [br]is especially important for democracy.  

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As citizens we rely on journalists [br]to provide the information we need  

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to make the best possible decisions about our [br]lives, our communities, and our governments.

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There are a number of important [br]roles that journalism plays.

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Journalism helps inform people [br]about the events and issues that  

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are important for society as a whole. [br]It contributes to collective knowledge  

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and helps shape opinions about [br]what is happening in the world.

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Journalism can also present different perspectives [br]on issues and provide a forum for public debate.

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Journalists act as watchdogs by [br]holding those with power to account.  

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They encourage honesty and transparency from [br]government officials and other authority figures  

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by questioning their actions and [br]decisions and by uncovering the truth.

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Finally, journalism can give people who lack power [br]in society a voice by sharing the stories of those  

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who face different challenges journalists [br]can help create empathy among the public.

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Journalism is essential for democracy [br]because it shines a light into places  

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that may otherwise be dark and helps people [br]to stay informed about issues that matter.