"The news of the day as it reaches the newspaper office is an incredible medley of fact, propaganda, rumor, suspicion, clues, hopes, and fears, and the task of selecting and ordering that news is one of the truly sacred and priestly offices in a democracy."

One of the most important roles in a democracy - separating fact from fiction in the newsroom – can only be so if, in the end, the facts actually do matter to the democracy. With that in mind, this statement carries with it some degree of danger for journalists that are unsure of their responsibilities.

In particular, young journalists have an enormous amount of learning and understanding to do before entering the newsroom and statements like Lippmann’s can give the impression that journalists can do no wrong. Comparing a journalist’s role in society to that of a priest opens the door to many wrong interpretations. The role of a journalist is somewhat ambiguous in that many people and organizations define it in different ways. The basic tenets of truth and accuracy and relevancy will always be agreed upon but the method for reaching these ideals is harder to define.

More than anything, the next generation of journalists will be responsible for regaining the public’s trust in the media. Most likely, regaining this trust and mutual dependence will require a generation of journalists that excel at not only all of the field’s age-old requirements, but who are also humble about their work.

So, while the job of collecting and delivering the news remains one of a democracy’s highest callings, the best approach may be to not emphasize that point to the youngest apprentices in the profession. In the earliest stages of a journalism career, stressing the many serious responsibilities of the job will likely bring about the right conclusion in students anyway.