ABSTRACT
Journalism is not a commodity like a box of tissues or a roll of paper towels, and the citizens who need it—readers, viewers and listeners—understand this. Journalism is a public good; its vitality and strength stir people. Tyrants and dictators outlaw it, and the corrupt try to foil it. People pay attention to good journalism. Sometimes they agree with it, and other times they argue over it. It can make them laugh and make them cry. Journalism needs people like you who are committed to it as both a craft and a profession. This is not to discount the contribution of citizen journalists and amateur bloggers who keep tabs on what goes on in their neighborhoods and beyond. Communities will always need full-time journalists who will commit themselves to the hard digging, the hellacious hours, the worry and the second-guessing that are required to consistently produce stories that matter.
