The Internet has become one of the primary sources of information and entertainment for a significant percentage of the population of the United States of America. Communication between citizens and the platform to express opinions and ideas to the masses has never been so easily accessible. If you do not agree with the current administration, you can post your complaint on a forum or blog. The common man's opinion can reach more people than ever before. For some, this uncontrolled freedom of information on the Internet is considered a threat to democracy. Yet democracy thrives on freedom of expression and public discourse and, as such, the Internet does not pose a threat to democracy. Those who argue that the Internet is a threat to democracy use several arguments to validate their claim. One of them is the decline of professional journalism. As the Internet becomes more popular, people get more information online than in newspapers or on television. This led to a loss of jobs for journalists. The advantage of professional journalism is that the information it reports is fact-checked to ensure it is factual before it is made public. Brian A. Williams states that "without this information, there is concern that debate on the Internet will continue, but that it will become less and less linked to reliable sources of basic facts" (Williams). This is a valid argument, but it remains unclear whether or not professional journalism is threatened by the Internet being a popular source of information. It seems that journalism is going through a period of transition from one media format to another. Many newspapers and television news channels are moving to online publishing. You would think it makes sense that there would be more opportunities ... middle of paper ...... The Internet is a threat to democracy, but radio and television also offer people this type of choice. Others argue that the free flow of ideas and ease of communication provided by the Internet are essential to the development of a democracy. The Internet is not a threat to democracy, but an important tool for promoting democracy through freedom of expression. Works Cited Bruce A. Williams “Is Democracy Threatened by the Uncontrolled Nature of the Internet?” http://web1.millercenter.org/debates/whitepaper/deb_2010_0518_internet.pdf Miller Center for Public Affairs. University of Virginia., April 2010. October 17, 2010Cass R. Sunstein. 2009. Going to extremes: how minds unite and divide. New York: Oxford University Press; Cass R. Sunstein. 2002. Republic.com; Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Joseph N. Capella. 2010. Echo Chamber. New York: Oxford University Press.