Back in the early 70s, when Richard Nixon was forced from office as the US president over the Watergate affair, there was a dramatic increase in the number of young people signing up to journalism school.
In the pursuit of being someone who ‘makes a difference’, these young people saw the power of the media – an entity that could identify cover-ups and bring down an entire government – as something they wanted to embrace.
Now fast-forward to this decade and the court decision last week convicting former US president Donald Trump on nearly three dozen charges.
The ability to address or challenge power and authority in this age now longer resides in the media, it is in the courts. And we should watch to see if this is a trigger point that sparks an increase in law school admissions or applications from idealistic young people looking to make the world a better place.
Just what the world needs. More lawyers. Fixing the doctor shortage might be more effective at making the world a better place.
