large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_05_belloc_64kb_9
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_05_belloc_64kb
English
7264
No policy is attempted until it is ascertained that the newspaper owner is in favour of it. Few are proffered without first consulting his wishes. Many are directly ordered by him. NO POLICY IS ATTEMPTED UNTIL IT IS ASCERTAINED THAT THE NEWSPAPER OWNER IS IN FAVOR OF IT FEW ARE PROFFERED WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING HIS WISHES MANY ARE DIRECTLY ORDERED BY HIM
 because the public has been taught to expect for 1d. what it costs 3d. to make--the difference being paid by the advertisement subsidy. But there is now a graver corruption at work even than this always negative and sometimes positive power of the advertiser. It is the advent of the great newspaper owner as the true governing power in the political machinery of the State, superior to the officials in the State, nominating ministers and dismissing them, imposing policies, and, in general, usurping sovereignty--all this secretly and without responsibility. It is the chief political event of our time and is the peculiar mark of this country to-day. Its full development has come on us suddenly and taken us by surprise in the midst of a terrible war. It was undreamt of but a few years ago. It is already to-day the capital fact of our whole political system. A Prime Minister is made or deposed by the owner of a group of newspapers, not by popular vote or by any other form of open authority. S BECAUSE THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN TAUGHT TO EXPECT FOR ONE DOLLAR WHAT IT COST THREE DOLLARS TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BEING PAID BY THE ADVERTISEMENT SUBSIDY BUT THERE IS NOW A GRAVER CORRUPTION AT WORK EVEN THAN THIS ALWAYS NEGATIVE AND SOMETIMES POSITIVE POWER OF THE ADVERTISER IT IS THE ADVENT OF THE GREAT NEWSPAPER OWNER AS THE TRUE GOVERNING POWER IN THE POLITICAL MACHINERY OF THE STATE SUPERIOR TO THE OFFICIALS IN THE STATE NOMINATING MINISTERS AND DISMISSING THEM IMPOSING POLICIES AND IN GENERAL USURPING SOVEREIGNTY ALL THIS SECRETLY AND WITHOUT RESPONSIBILITY IT IS THE CHIEF POLITICAL EVENT OF OUR TIME AND IS THE PECULIAR MARK OF THIS COUNTRY TO DAY ITS FULL DEVELOPMENT HAS COME ON US SUDDENLY AND TAKEN US BY SURPRISE IN THE MIDST OF A TERRIBLE WAR IT WAS UNDREAMT OF BUT A FEW YEARS AGO IT IS ALREADY TO DAY THE CAPITAL FACT OF OUR WHOLE POLITICAL SYSTEM A PRIME MINISTER IS MADE OR DEPOSED BY THE OWNER OF A GROUP OF NEWSPAPERS NOT BY POPULAR VOTE OR BY ANY OTHER FORM OF OPEN AUTHORITY
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