III Factors, 32 Will Democracy Die in Darkness?: Calling Autocracy by Its Name

Last year, the Washington Post adopted a new slogan: “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” But what does this phrase precisely mean? It clearly speaks to the role of the media in a democracy. The press sheds light on exercises of public power, especially those decisions that governments would prefer to remain hidden in the shadows. The power of the public to hold governments accountable, through elections, in legislatures, and in the court of public opinion, requires transparency and information. But the phrase goes further, by linking darkness to the death of democracy....