Many people become journalists because they know they can have an impact on people's lives. Their stories can shed light on wrongdoing and help right wrongs. One only needs to read the Pulitzer Prize winning stories in the Washington Post this year - on conditions at Walter Reed Army Hospital and care of Iraq war veterans - to see the kind of impact a journalist can have. Jim Schaefer has been reminded of the public service role a journalist can have, too. He is one of the Detroit Free Press reporters who broke the story of the Detroit mayor's text messages that ultimately led to perjury charges against Kwame Kilpatrick. After the story ran, Schaefer said he heard from many readers who thanked him and the newspaper for telling the story. He never expected the story to have the impact it has. But he does understand the watchdog role of journalists is a critical one.
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