In light of recent media law court cases, the news media industry has been deemed the enemy.

In the case of Robert R. Thomas, a former columnist for the Kane County Chronicle, versus Justice Robert R. Thomas of the Illinois Supreme Court, Justice Thomas was awarded $7 million in damages, the second-largest award in the county’s history.

The considerable size of Thomas’ monetary award has left the news media thwarted, with the knowledge that the media’s duty to report on those who hold public offices has taken a second-tier importance behind salvaging the reputations of those in said offices.

As a columnist, fair comment protects him or her if it can be shown that the statements they make are views that a person of reasonable nature could also hold.

However, despite any protections given by media law, journalists are being attacked. There is a considerable effort being made to intimidate them out of doing their jobs.

Cases like these scare the media from questioning the actions of figures like Justice Thomas. Money makes people react, and members of the news media are no different. Regardless of whether journalists hold a vested interest in their responsibilities to the public to portray the truth, if the publication for which they’re writing is sued, those responsibilities suddenly take second place behind the financial well-being of the whole.

Without the media’s objective inquisition, there will be no watchdog and no precedent to say that corruption and malpractice will have no immediate judge.