When I was a child, I watched a lot of superhero shows and read a lot of comics. Two of my favorite characters were, of course, Superman and Spider-Man. Their real identities, Clark Kent and Peter Parker, both worked for newspapers, and I always admired them because I couldn’t imagine how they were able to do that. When I began taking college classes in journalism, it hit me that Clark Kent and Peter Parker were the true essence of what the press is. Good, hardworking and honest members of the press.

The press is often thought of as a group of nosy reporters and media related to the “evil” of CNN or Fox News. Oh, how wrong that is.

As a writer for the Globe, I am considered a part of the press. A freelance reporter for a small newspaper is part of the press. The students at Point Park who cover stories are part of the press.

The press is there to promote the truth in stories; to make sure that people are held accountable and that the public knows that.

I’m not sure where it all turned wrong, but somehow the world lost their faith in the press. Maybe it was because of faulty journalists who lied to audiences. Maybe it was when President Donald Trump called CNN “Fake news.” Perhaps it was when the press started covering celebrities more than “actual news.”

What I mean by “actual news” is the kind of stories that you sit down at 6 p.m. and see on your local news stations. Politics, human interest, news-features and other newsworthy content. Figuring out what Kim Kardashian is going to name her child does not count for actual news.

The press is what we as citizens should hold dear because many other countries do not have such free press. The American press is here to do their duty to tell the truth, and we need to cut them some slack. Maybe I am a little biased because I am a young journalist, but the press is doing their best to make sure we get the correct facts about things that will affect us for the rest of our lives.

Professors at Point Park who are current or former members of the press, dedicated their lives to the telling of true stories. Sure, the press might slip up sometimes and maybe upset some people, but that’s another part of their job, to make people uncomfortable.

Sometimes getting the truth to the public means you have to push people out of their comfort zone. If that bothers you, then you really do not understand the press and you have no right to judge members of it.

Please think before you disregard something that CNN puts out there. Just because you do not know the writer, does not mean that you have to distrust them. A reliable news source cannot simply be dubbed as fake news because it is important that we rely on them. So the next time you aren’t sure if you should believe the press, remember that they want the truth just as much as you do.