large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_14_belloc_64kb_2
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_14_belloc_64kb
English
7264
Ninety nine people out of a hundred retain this and nothing more, because the matter below is but a flaccid expansion of the headline. Now the Headline suggests, of course, a fact (or falsehood) with momentary power. So does the Poster. But the mere fact of dependence on such methods is a proof of the inherent weakness underlying it. NINETY NINE PEOPLE OUT OF A HUNDRED RETAIN THIS AND NOTHING MORE BECAUSE THE MATTER BELOW IS BUT A FLACCID EXPANSION OF THE HEADLINE NOW THE HEADLINE SUGGEST OF COURSE A FACT OR FALSEHOOD WITH MOMENTARY POWER SO DOES THE POSTER BUT THE MERE FACT OF DEPENDENCE ON SUCH METHODS IS A PROOF OF THE INHERENT WEAKNESS UNDERLYING IT
e which never misses its pronouncements whether it agrees or disagrees with them, and which is absorbed in its opinions, its statement of fact and its arguments. Look narrowly at History and you will find that all great _reforms_ have started thus: not through a widespread control acting downwards, but through spontaneous energy, local and intensive, acting upwards. You cannot say this of the Official Press, for the simple reason that the Official Press is only of real political interest on rare and brief occasions. It is read of course, by a thousand times more people than those who read the Free Press. But its readers are not gripped by it. They are not, save upon the rare occasions of a particular "scoop" or "boom," _informed_ by it, in the old sense of that pregnant word, _informed_:--they are not possessed, filled, changed, moulded to new action. One of the proofs of this--a curious, a comic, but a most conclusive proof--is the dependence of the great daily papers on the headline.  THE AUDIENCE IT HAS IF SMALL IS AN AUDIENCE WHICH NEVER MISSES ITS PRONOUNCEMENTS WHETHER IT AGREES OR DISAGREES WITH THEM AND WHICH IS ABSORBED IN ITS OPINIONS ITS STATEMENT OF FACT AND ITS ARGUMENTS LOOK NARROWLY AT HISTORY AND YOU WILL FIND THAT ALL GREAT REFORMS HAVE STARTED THUS NOT THROUGH A WIDESPREAD CONTROL ACTING DOWNWARDS BUT THROUGH SPONTANEOUS ENERGY LOCAL AND INTENSIVE ACTING UPWARDS YOU CANNOT SAY THIS OF THE OFFICIAL PRESS FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT THE OFFICIAL PRESS IS ONLY OF REAL POLITICAL INTEREST ON RARE AND BRIEF OCCASIONS IT IS READ OF COURSE BY A THOUSAND TIMES MORE PEOPLE THAN THOSE WHO READ THE FREE PRESS BUT ITS READERS ARE NOT GRIPPED BY IT THEY ARE NOT SAVE UPON RARE OCCASIONS OF A PARTICULAR SCOOP OR BOOM INFORMED BY IT IN THE OLD SENSE OF THAT PREGNANT WORD INFORMED THEY ARE NOT POSSESSED FILLED CHANGED MOULDED TO NEW ACTION ONE OF THE PROOFS OF THIS A CURIOUS ATOMIC BUT A MOST CONCLUSIVE PROOF IS THE DEPENDENCE OF THE GREAT DAILY PAPERS ON THE HEADLINE
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