Iam a journalist. And proud of it.

I hope my readers, whether in newspapers, magazines or online, also feel that’s a title worthy of pride.

True, journalists and the news media are being targeted and maligned, and polls show public trust in the press is declining.

But what isn’t up for serious debate is the essential role that we play.

I appreciate how Dale Anglin, the executive director of the Knight Foundation’s Press Forward initiative, describes the situation — not as a plea to “save struggling journalism” but as a call for the citizenry to “support trusted local news that strengthens our community.”

Anglin cites research showing that more than 90% of Americans surveyed support having independent local news, and two-thirds use local news in making their own everyday decisions.

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