Survival of the American Newspaper Critical to Democracy

“Where the press is free and every man able to read, all is safe.”—Thomas Jefferson.

For more than 300 years, countless words have been printed and delivered to communities across North America. Whether daily or weekly, the American newspaper not only keeps people informed about of their community and country, but also serves as a community watchdog of local and national governments.

If not for a free press, governments at all levels could operate with no accountability to the public. Fortunately, the founding fathers recognized that for a democracy to survive, government could not work in sec...