The Atlantic

The World’s Most Valuable Troublemakers

Journalism is an instrument of enlightenment—and sometimes even troublemaking. Good troublemaking.
Source: Joshua Bright / The New York Times / Redux

This article is adapted from a speech delivered on Thursday night at the annual dinner of the Committee to Protect Journalists in New York.

Every day, journalists go to press with stories that could endanger them and their families, understanding that the repercussions might be severe, even a matter of life and death. They are the sentries protecting the values of truth, accountability, and justice.

These values are under attack. In an age of growing authoritarianism and repression of

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