We don't go into journalism to be popular. It is our job to seek

The words of Helen Thomas—“We don't go into journalism to be popular. It is our job to seek the truth and put constant pressure on our leaders until we get answers.”—resound with the courage of one who stood at the front lines of accountability. In these words, she strips away the illusions of fame, comfort, or applause, and reminds us that the calling of journalism is not to flatter but to challenge, not to soothe but to probe. Popularity fades, but truth endures, and those entrusted with the pen and the question must wield them as weapons for justice, not ornaments for self-glory.

The origin of this wisdom comes from Thomas’s own life, spent decades in the White House press room, asking presidents the questions they least wished to hear. She was unafraid of scorn, ridicule, or dismissal, because she knew that her role was not to curry favor but to hold power accountable. In her relentless pursuit of truth, she embodied the very spirit of the Fourth Estate: to be the voice of the people in the presence of kings, to pierce the shield of authority with words that demand clarity.

The ancients, too, understood this principle. In Athens, the playwrights and philosophers often clashed with leaders, using comedy, tragedy, and dialogue to expose the corruption and arrogance of those in power. Socrates himself, though not a journalist, lived by the same creed: to question without fear, to demand truth from the mighty, even if it cost him his life. Thomas’s words are the modern echo of this ancient calling—that those who speak to power must not serve popularity but truth.

History offers a vivid testimony in the Watergate scandal. When Richard Nixon’s government sought to hide corruption behind walls of lies, it was the journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein who dug relentlessly, publishing what was uncomfortable, unwelcomed, and unpopular among the powerful. Their work, like Thomas’s dictum, proved that constant pressure upon leaders is not an act of rebellion, but a duty in service of democracy. Without their courage, a nation might have drowned in deceit.

Yet the path of truth-seeking is never easy. To challenge leaders is to provoke anger; to ask difficult questions is to risk exile from favor. The crowd may turn away, mistaking honesty for hostility. But Thomas reminds us that popularity is a shallow prize. A journalist who seeks only applause becomes a servant of the powerful rather than a guardian of the people. True liberation comes not from being liked, but from knowing one has spoken truth boldly, and demanded answers where silence once reigned.

There is also within her words a warning for every citizen. Journalists do not stand alone; their courage must be upheld by the people who demand honesty from those who govern. If the public itself hungers only for comforting illusions, then even the bravest journalist will falter. Thomas’s legacy calls us not only to admire the questioner, but to become questioners ourselves: to demand accountability, to resist falsehood, to honor truth above popularity.

Therefore, take this lesson: in your own life, whether you wield a pen or not, do not seek comfort at the cost of honesty. Do not fear to question, even when it unsettles those in power. Practice vigilance in your community, your workplace, your nation. Support those who dare to tell uncomfortable truths, for they are the lifeblood of freedom. For as Helen Thomas declared, the duty is not to be popular, but to seek truth, and to press upon leaders until answers are won. And in that pressing, democracy breathes, justice awakens, and liberty endures.