I have mentioned in Vaughan’s Vocabulary that I’m writing a textbook that will be used in college journalism courses. I am currently writing about the libertarian theory of journalism that originated in the 17th century, representing an antipathy to authoritarian doctrine. The concept of a libertarian press is based on ideas by Mill, Milton, Locke, and philosophical principles of rationalism and natural rights. I learned from an article by Karmen Erjavec and Jozoca Zajc of the University of Ljublijana, Slovenia, that libertarianism argues that people are rational human beings capable of differentiating truth and falsehood. Independently and autonomously, journalists should seek the truth and monitor the activities of the government. The assumption of this theory is that individuals will be able to select the best information from the media; the state should not interfere in this environment. 1. rapprochement (ra-PROSH-mah) A. an establishment of or state of having cordial relations B. a form of censorship C. harmonious relations D. an increase in journalism outlets Adhering to the libertarian theory of journalism does not guarantee rapprochement between journalists and government authorities. You’re correct if you chose A. 2. counterintuitive (koun-ter-in-TOO-i-tiv) A. disparately presented B. involving media bias C. typicality D. the opposite to what your intuition would lead you to believe All journalists, not just libertarians, should work counterintuitively. No. 2 is D. 3. flotsam (FLOT-sum) A. miscellaneous or unimportant material B. concealed information C. an incentive not to report a story D. an assumption 4. With libertarianism, the individuals themselves seek the __ from competing media supply. A. news B. greatest good C. truth D. flotsam E. commercialism 5. subsist (sub-SIST) A. to have existence B. to struggle C. to promulgate D. to exacerbate 6. Mill, Milton and Locke each had the first name of A. Thomas B. George C. John D. Robert E. Christopher What one journalist considers flotsam another may consider newsworthy. Aside from A, flotsam means floating pieces of a ship or its cargo, debris. It also means an unsettled population, for example, immigrants. No. 3 is A. No. 4 is C. Erjavec and Zajc write, “Libertarian journalism subsists in multiparty political economies based on free market.” No. 5 is A. No. 6 is C. Editor’s Note: Dr. Don Rodney Vaughan is the pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church near Eupora and is on the faculty of East Mississippi Community College, Golden Triangle Campus. Contact him at dvaughan@eastms.edu.
