I did a lot of googling on this subject in the last hour or so. I’ve really educated myself on the pros and cons of licensing reporters.
And I’ve come to a firm conclusion that....
....I’m still on the fence about it.
More than a few smart people on the web have argued that if a licensed journalist is caught in a lie or distorts the truth to further a lie, then why not yank their license and deny them a job?
That individual will still have the Constitutional Right to publish their own paper, get a you-tube video, post a blog, or any other number of ways and means to exercise their freedom of speech.
As I said upthread - We require a license to enjoy our Second Amendment right, but not our First?
“More than a few smart people on the web have argued that if a licensed journalist is caught in a lie or distorts the truth to further a lie, then why not yank their license and deny them a job?”
Because the forces of evil would use it to yank the licenses of honest reporters for telling the truth.