A quote that made me think today....

"O Lord, help me not to despise or oppose what I do not understand," William Penn (1644-1718).

How often do people jump on a cause or a line of thought or believe something, simply because it fits with what they want to believe?

Newfourth Organization

The Fourth Estate is a term going back to at least the early 1800s that refers to the press. The idea is the first three estates refer to the official branches of government, with the fourth being reserved for the free press that has been called by some the most important to democracy.

With this background in mind, an ambitious friend of mine who believes as much in the future of journalism as I do recently started a new venture: Newfourth Organization. I am honored to have been asked to be involved.

Here is a synopsis from the organization's fledgling web site:

In the new media world, The Freedom of the Press won’t be reserved for those who buy ink by the barrel.That’s why The Newfourth Organization designs K-12 journalism curriculum for implementation into core language arts, social studies and mathematics classes. Our goal is simple, but could have a profound impact on America’s future: We seek to provide every American child a basic literacy in journalism, giving rise to a New Fourth Estate — a generation of Americans fully prepared to engage as producers and consumers of journalism.