One might think that never has there been a better time for the public to take in good journalism, as never has there been so many forms and formats available for the people, at such a low as well as convenient cost, to take in the news of the day, through, for instance, television networks, newspapers, the internet, social media, blogs, and podcasts. Yet, what we find instead, is that rather than us having a vibrant and free press, we have a very powerful mainstream press that is controlled by interests that have not the public's good in mind, but rather are intent to proselytize their given viewpoint that matches the actuators of that press, and therefore the prejudices and agendas of that clique that are the masters of it. Almost without exception, the great purveyors of journalism, whether it be in the written form or via broadcast TV, are owned by corporate interests that make it their point, to provide news that is filtered through the prism of their perception of how they desire the world to be.
Further, while never has there been so many alternative forms of journalism, most of those forms, suffer from their own agendas, that therefore colors their viewpoint of what it is that they so wish to discuss, as if the only thing that matters to them is just their one particular outlook, and none other is thereby considered to be legitimate or even entitled to a fair hearing. So that, in essence, journalism is filled with two basic formats, of which one is akin to the bully pulpit so as to stir up the masses to believe only that and to consider nothing else; whereas, the other is to hoodwink the public into believing that they are actually hearing a reasoned argument between two sides, of which the public is unaware, that such is really the two sides of the very same coin.
As for what good journalism is really all about, it comes down to the fact that a good journalist, actual takes the time and puts forth the necessary effort so that they end up writing and speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; so as to thereby allow the reading or listening public to formulate their own opinions and judgments based upon the facts so being presented. In other words, journalists should make it their point to inform the public of all that is going on of interest in the community for the public; as well as to especially concentrate on that which is relevant and germane to the people, so that the public can thereby make up their minds, as to the best course of action and thereby the best decisions to therefore make.
After all, for the public to make good decisions for the betterment of their society, they need to be informed of what is actually occurring, and they need to know the full story, as compared to getting distorted stories, or just portions of stories; for no country can be considered to do well at self-governing if they do not have all the actionable information at hand in order to formulate their proper course of action. So then, to the degree that journalists express that which is true, is to the degree that country and its people will be at liberty; for a free press is one that is true, and that press which is not, is beholden to something other than truth.