Theoretically, the structure of our government is supposed to keep us safe from government abuse, but the rise of an enhanced security state after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has created a kind of short circuit in that diagram of accountability. That is where journalism comes in, where China gets it wrong, where Britain has lost its footing. Transparency, however painful in the moment, allows democracy, business and the citizenry to thrive in the long run.
Where Freedom of the Press Is Muffled, by David Carr.