The press should be all about open dialogue and discussion, not censorship.

It’s our job to let people hear what’s really going on, and let them make their own judgments.

I caught a bit of the National Press Club’s interview with Iranian President

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when it aired live on the Internet, and was surprised by how frank and critical the discussion was, in contrast to the short and biased spin the networks put on it later.

I’m glad the NPC had the integrity to air the unedited footage, instead of drowning the event in government propaganda.

As members of the media, we need to be wary of subtle efforts to distort the news, which is now done so often, in so many ways.

When referring to national leaders, professional journalists should refer to the leader’s name and title, such as “Iranian President

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad” instead of rephrasing biased derivatives such as

“petty and cruel dictatator.”

Fair coverage is especially critical when reporting on Iran, since this administration seems poised to start a war there within the year, regardless of the facts.

We need to circumvent the abyss of fake news that may make another war, propelled by misinformation, that much easier.

As a nation, we cannot afford to censor the truth. As journalists, we have to get real, and report the truth as best we can, or we’ll all pay dearly for the omissions later.