What does it mean to be a citizen?

This week in class our readings and discussions were centered around the connection between civics and journalism.  Last year I taught a year long course titled Civics.  The first half was personal finance and the second was focused on civics.  We had several conversations about the definition of civics as well as citizen.  Every time we would come up with a new definition, which I think was okay.  I don't think there is one definite answer to what it means to be a citizen.  I especially believe that after volunteering one Saturday.  With the volunteer group at our school, I helped potential citizens study for their citizenship test.  Even with a degree in history, I still struggled with some of the questions on the test.  It was mind-blowing to see what people had to go through to become a citizen, something most Americans are oblivious to because they were born here.  This made me rethink the definition of citizenship even more.  As I shared my experience with my students we again changed our definition of citizen, but still felt that words could not describe what it meant to be a citizen.  Now thinking about it in a journalism context, I again find myself searching for a definition of citizen.  To be a citizen do you have to be news literate?  Do you have to vote?  Do you have to read the news?  Know what's going on in your community? Your city? Your country?  If the answers to these questions are yes, then much of America needs to begin their application to become an American citizen, myself included!  Although I can't define citizenship, rattle off endless facts about our founding fathers, or answer yes to my previous questions, I do know one thing.  Without journalism there wouldn't be any citizenship, for anyone.  Journalism, especially investigative journalism is what makes us a democracy.  Having the freedom of the press and freedom of speech allows us to be citizens.  There are too many countries today that do not have these freedoms and cannot question their government, do they even have citizens?  Or just prisoners?  Next time the discussion of what it means to be a citizen comes up with my students I am going to make sure to ask them how journalism ties into being a citizen, because like many Americans we take our freedom or press and speech for granted.  We take being citizens, not prisoners for granted. (Cue waving flag video and an instrumental of America the Beautiful)