Journalistic independence

A series of Op Ed article, the responses from the individuals who feel aggrieved through these exposes, have set me thinking as to what is the role of journalism in democracy. To start with, an opinion which is that of the journalist that some thing is wrong or some one has been doing some wrong on to someone, becomes the core basis or belief to construct a story. What if that opinion is wrong or is best on purported facts, which turned out to be untrue at a later date?

Does the journist pay a price? The journalist might have been a mere instrument, who has been manipulated by an interested party. Since we hold the journalist and/ or the papaer that brings the stories in high esteem, our opinion is also high jacked and we also become victims. 

What does one do in such circumstances? How does one punish the manipulator? And how do we sto these happening again?

It is time we raised these questions and debated answers to bring in more security to our democratic functioning.