“What we know with absolute clarity is that a reliable flow of information is crucial to the stability of democracy. 

"What we don’t know for sure is whether local newspapers in the United States will have the financial staying power to continue providing their communities with trustworthy information.”

—William McKenzie,
Senior Editorial Advisor at the Bush Institute

I was delighted when I ran across William McKenzie's writing on the Bush Institute website. He clearly articulates the importance of accurate news and the powerful destructive force that fuels misinformation.   

Democracies require a reliable flow of information, he writes.

In that context, we can understand Jefferson's words to mean that a reliable flow of information builds agency in the community to work together in addressing challenges.

So if I had to choose between a government without a newspaper, or a newspaper without a government, the choice is to put my faith in the people and give them the information they need.

It's a humbling responsibility, I gotta say.