A basic understanding of reality is needed for the public to make sound decisions about its future and its leaders, about the course and direction of policy, both domestic and foreign. Without that, we are, at best, going to find policies enacted that we do not like and did not expect. At worst, we will find our country barreling down a dark path we did not want. Either way, education is the key and a strong and objective press is the basis of that education.

- Joel Caris
The Between
I already have up my second dish, as well. A preview from that:

Investigation, confrontation and the challenging of authority are all crucial aspects of journalism that goes beyond and yet compliments objectivity. The public needs journalists that have a certain level of hostility and skepticism in them to help keep politicians and other policy-makers honest and to keep the public educated and aware. A scientist's work is considered useless if it is not published in a peer-review journal because it is crucial that scientific discovery and research be able to hold up under intense scrutiny and examination. The same principles should be applied to any sort of social and political policy and its the press that must act in the manner of peer-reviewers. They are the one that the public needs to scrutinize the actions of politicians and tell us where the strengths and flaws lie.

If you're interested in following the debate, you can read more dishes--including those of The Challenger--over at Iron Blog. For my third post, I'll be detailing the ways in which the media has failed and later will be looking at how the press can better serve the public, as well as how bias, in a sense, can actually play a role in journalism.