large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb_11
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb
English
7264
No one, outside the small catholic minority, wants to hear about the Pope; and no one, Catholic or Muslim, will believe that he has become a Methodist. No one alive will consent to eat tin tacks. A paper printing stuff like that is free to do so, the proprietor could certainly get his employees, or most of them, to write as he told them. But his paper would stop selling. NO ONE OUTSIDE THE SMALL CATHOLIC MINORITY WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT THE POPE AND NO ONE CATHOLIC OR MOSLEM WILL BELIEVE THAT HE HAS BECOME A METHODIST NO ONE ALIVE WILL CONSENT TO EAT TIN TACKS A PAPER PRINTING STUFF LIKE THAT IS FREE TO DO SO THE PROPRIETOR COULD CERTAINLY GET HIS EMPLOYES OR MOST OF THEM TO WRITE AS HE TOLD THEM BUT HIS PAPER WOULD STOP SELLING
ch with reality; _lastly_, as an hypocrisy still pleading truth, a certain definition of the functions of the Press; a doctrine which we must thoroughly grasp before proceeding to the nature of the Press in these our present times. This doctrine was that the Press was an _organ of opinion_--that is, an expression of the public thought and will. Why was this doctrine originally what I have called it, "plausible and arguable"? At first sight it would seem to be neither the one nor the other. A man controlling a newspaper can print any folly or falsehood he likes. _He_ is the dictator: not his public. _They_ only receive. Yes: but he is limited by his public. If I am rich enough to set up a big rotary printing press and print in a million copies of a daily paper the _news_ that the Pope has become a Methodist, or the _opinion_ that tin-tacks make a very good breakfast food, my newspaper containing such news and such an opinion would obviously not touch the general thought and will at all. D ARGUABLE NEXT AS A TRADITION NO LONGER IN TOUCH WITH REALITY LASTLY AS AN HYPOCRISY STILL PLEADING TRUTH A CERTAIN DEFINITION OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE PRESS A DOCTRINE WHICH WE MUST THOROUGHLY GRASP BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE NATURE OF THE PRESS IN OUR PRESENT TIMES THIS DOCTRINE WAS THAT THE PRESS WAS AN ORGAN OF OPINION THAT IS AN EXPRESSION OF THE PUBLIC THOUGHT AND WILL WHY WAS THIS DOCTRINE ORIGINALLY WHAT I HAVE CALLED IT PLAUSIBLE AND ARGUABLE AT FIRST SIGHT IT WOULD SEEM TO BE NEITHER ONE NOR THE OTHER A MAN CONTROLLING A NEWSPAPER CAN PRINT ANY FOLLY OR FALSEHOOD HE LIKES HE IS THE DICTATOR NOT HIS PUBLIC THEY ONLY RECEIVE YES BUT HE IS LIMITED BY HIS PUBLIC IF I AM RICH ENOUGH TO SET UP A BIG ROTARY PRINTING PRESS IN PRINT IN A MILLION COPIES OF A DAILY PAPER THE NEWS THAT THE POPE HAS BECOME A METHODIST OR THE OPINION THAT TIN TAX MAKE A VERY GOOD BREAKFAST FOOD MY NEWSPAPER CONTAINING SUCH NEWS AND SUCH AN OPINION WOULD OBVIOUSLY NOT TOUCH THE GENERAL THOUGHT AND WILL AT ALL
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