With the debate going on these days over what some call fake news, something happened in San Diego last night that you should know about.
Hundreds of local journalists gathered together for the annual San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism awards. They were from radio, TV, the web, newspapers, and magazines.
Each year, professional and college journalists are honored at this event to recognize good journalism. There are hundreds of entries and a long list of San Diego area journalists receive awards for the excellence of their work in a variety of categories from covering breaking news to investigative reports to feature stories about people in our community.
And as you might imagine, when so many local journalists get together to honor their peers for work well done, there is a lot of talk about the great fake news debate going on.
Those of us who are journalists, know there are people who think we’re always up to no good. We hear the voices that suggest the country would be better off without journalists they think do fake news.
But after reading the list of journalists honored and the stories for which they were honored at the San Diego Press Club awards last night, you need to know that the vast majority of people who call themselves journalists are people who care deeply about their community, no matter where they live. And they know how important integrity is in what they do.
But they have chosen a career that doesn’t bring them the big money because it does satisfy a calling they have to help people know the truth about what’s going on and what their elected leaders are doing.
Because they know, as our nation’s founders knew, a well informed electorate makes better choices and helps make their community and the country stronger. And there’s nothing fake about that.
(Photo credit C.E. Albert)