Watchdog

"Watchdog" is the 5th element of journalism. We discussed this in the first week of school when we went over the 10 Elements and 7 Yardsticks, but I thought I would return to the topic as I see it to be a very important standard of journalism.
To assume the role of "watchdog" as a journalist is to vow to provide a check against power. This includes  keeping an eye out for corruptness in government, with large corporations, or individual people with a lot of power. The reason for its large importance is that they catch and report abuses of power. Because so much power is held within the "1%,"the government, etc., suspect actions are often very well hidden and are kept secret with money and power they have. Citizens deserve to be informed when such actions are taken, and this is where journalists come in. An entire subgenre of journalism has been created devoted to investigating power; it is rightfully called investigative journalism. These stories are heavily research and take a lot of effort, but are extremely important and are often the only way serious conspiracies to get out.
I see this standard of journalism to be of extremely high importance. I think that being a "watchdog" shows ultimate loyalty to the people, which is to me the most important standard journalists are expected to uphold.