As we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence 242 years ago on July 4, as we mourn the murders last week of five employees of the Annapolis, Md., Capital Gazette, four of them journalists, and as we think about the “fake news” accusations and slanderous “enemy of the American people” slurs that are hurled like stones at journalists, we should reflect on the important role they play in our United States and in protecting and preserving our democracy.