The darkness threatening American democracy

(JNS) — It’s easy to be cynical about congressional hearings. They often seem political and ideological. They encourage grandstanding. But hearing rooms aren’t courtrooms and they aren’t meant to be. Public hearings are forums where lawmakers are able to expose real problems in ways invaluable to American democracy.

In an era when the most pedigreed brands in journalism have abandoned their duty to report facts honestly in favor of extremist advocacy, hearings can also be an essential corrective, allowing citizens to bypass the legacy media filter and glimpse reality for themselves.

But, it tu...