But you know what? Whatever flaws individual journalists may have, you need them, collectively, to do their jobs without worrying whom they offend. We all depend on their right to be rude to those in power — to be pushy, impertinent, even wrong, at times. The more that fear corrupts their need for access, the less accountable our government becomes. The more they fear being blacklisted, the less they are able to hold our government accountable.