Before you start reading, take a moment to clear your head. Breathe in, breathe out. Forget everything you have heard about the press. Lay down your opinion about them, for now. Proceed to read.
There’s no point giving you the dictionary meaning of what the press is because it will never be as relevant as your own perception of who they are. Take the M and W analogy, where your perspective determines your conclusion.
Think of one time that the press “did too much”, but instead of hastily generalizing the cause of their action, employ the W/M analogy. What this does is that you won’t be seeing it through their eyes but through yours, only this time, you are at their end of the table.
However, it is important to note that this piece is not to change your opinion of the press. It’s simply to ensure that you are better informed. That, after all, is our core responsibility.
What We Do
We can go on and on telling you that the press is an independent body that reports fact-checked truths, without bias or subjectivity.While this is the ideal truth, ideals can be questioned, sometimes limited. The main reason might just be that without UI, no UCJ UI. No UCJ UI, no POSS Press.
Here’s what we really do: The Press Xpresses. Where X equals the voice whose opinion we’re expressing. It could be in an active, passive or reported form. We therefore need to establish that we do not determine whether moments are favourable or unfavourable. If it occurs, and it is relevant, it is reported.
Why We Do It
You need to stay informed. We all do. Knowledge is not just a privilege; it is a must-have. It’s okay not to know but you don’t have to stay that way. You should not be willing to stay that way, talk less of antagonizing a body that’s dedicated to finding and sharing the right information.
Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn. — Benjamin Franklin
Knowledge can be applied or manipulated, ignorance on the other hand can only be manipulated. The manipulation of your ignorance is the application of another person’s knowledge on you, but with your own knowledge, you own your decisions.Simply put, when you refuse knowledge, you surrender control of your narrative to someone else.
Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. — Martin Luther King Jr.
Your Role
It’s up to you to decide what to do with the information. While we would love to suggest a couple of things such as making better informed decisions, commending the good, identifying the bad, proposing solutions, taking action, etc, we don’t want to seem like we’re telling you what to do so we’d rather not breathe a word of it.
Now ask yourself if that is the type of press you want. If it is, change your opinion. You don’t have to appreciate what we do but if you are not comfortable with the truth, the discomfort may not be ours to resolve. This is an invitation to reflect. Whether you value our work or not, make sure that it is grounded in accurate and current information.
Who We Are
We are not your enemy. We are not your opposition. We are your record. Records exist for reference and reflection, not to attack.
