Martin Baron: It is only natural in a democracy to disagree about policies – yet today we cannot agree on how to determine fact

The Irish Independent is publishing this piece to mark World News Day on September 28, a worldwide campaign highlighting the essential role of journalism in providing facts and clarity

Cartoon by Zapiro

Every year of my journalistic career of nearly half a century, I have known only a free and independent press in the United States.

My professional start was in the 1970s. Those were years when Americans could see clearly how the press served democracy.

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