ABSTRACT
The first time I read the Hutchins Commission report, it was like reading Plato on journalism—a philosophical framework to the craft. We have all heard, and I certainly believed, how important good journalism is to democracy. Hutchins makes that case too and outlines five minimum requirements for that to occur. But if Hutchins is a philosophical guide, it’s also a practical one. The ideas raised by the Commission are relevant and worth trying in a time when readers, viewers and citizens all ask, What are the standards of journalism? What does good journalism look like?
