Being a journalist is not an easy thing. Not that anything else in life is. But our profession has its set of challenges that set it apart from others.

Unlike law, medicine, of real estate to name a few, we have no boards to regulate our profession. The Founding Fathers of this country wanted it that way. A free press they argue correctly was the bedrock of this democracy and that the press and now the media, should police itself.

The media have done a decent job despite its critics. But in our community the reality is more warped as we continue to adapt in this country. We bring with us certain mores that are sometimes at odds with the workings of a free and responsible media. Double standards and contradictions abound. Too often we find that the media in the Haitian community to be totally irresponsible, printing and propagandizing outright lies.

Sometimes the Haitian press takes a grain of truth and distorts it to new heights. If a prominent person has a potentially damaging story percolating in the community, that person can pay and ensure that the story doesn’t get out. If that person doesn’t want to play ball, then the story will get out, with spice added.

We believe that it’s time for these practices to end. At the same time, we encourage tough and even critical look at the community and the country. It is our basic job and we have to do it. The power of the printed or spoken words should not be taken lightly.

The direction that the Haitian community and country ultimately takes in the future is a direct consequences of our media.

A mercenary media creates a mercenary community. The media must be consistent and be as impartial as possible. You can’t protect your friends while assailing those you deem your enemies. There are market forces that will correct these transgressions. In the New York market, the plethora of television shows that buzzed over the airwaves, has closed up because of their banalities. People have stopped watching and advertising. These shows ostensibly promoted the host who delivered nothing but prepaid videos and a handful of advertisers. In a 30-minute show, viewers learned nothing. The same trend is happening in radio where the market is saturated. But we can’t always rely on the marketplace to root out mediocrity. Some of them do flourish to the detriment of the community.

Publishing outright lies would make a normal publisher quiver awaiting a blockbuster lawsuit. But in the Haitian community, publishing lies is a badge of honor. The thinking is that people would not dare sue because of fear that their own skeletons would roll out of the closet. That may be true, but what right does it give any responsible journalist or publisher to run scandalous stories with the only aim of knocking down a person or institution.

Without a doubt, misdeeds should be reported as The Haitian Times has done in these pages. We’ve done so under duress and threats from powerful groups and individuals. But one thing is for sure, we do it responsibly and not gratuitously.

At the end of the day, our staff can feel good about the job it did. We don’t have sacred cows nor do we have target lists. We agonize over stories that cast anyone in a bad light. But we believe that part of our job is to inform our readers. They have a right to know. But they don’t have a right to be fed lies and innuendoes. Journalism is a tough job. Perhaps, a regulating agency is not a bad thing.