Message on the Observance of National Newspaper Week, October 7-13, 1979

On the occasion of National Newspaper Week, I am pleased to greet the men and women who gather and report the news.

Yours is indeed a noble and challenging profession. You bear a great responsibility in a free society. Our people depend on you to bring them the facts on issues and problems that affect their lives and the future of our nation. Their opinions are often based as much on your interpretation of events, what you point out as important and relevant, as on the events themselves. The pressure of deadlines is compounded by your desire to get all the facts. I am sure the satisfaction you derive from doing a good job and meeting those constant challenges is in proportion to the obstacles.

The variety of your concerns, the breadth of your knowledge, the quality of understanding that you bring to the task of finding out what is happening is important to our nation. Just as we in government have a sworn duty to serve the people, you have a professional duty to uphold their right to know. Our Founding Fathers considered that duty as basic to our freedom as the structure of government. We share a duty to serve and be accountable to the people, just as we share a need to retain our humility and compassion in the face of heavy responsibility and great power.

I commend you for your commitment to a proud tradition which has served our nation with honor and distinction. Each of you has my best wishes for continuing success.

JIMMY CARTER