large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb_12
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb
English
7264
If London were devastated by an earthquake no advertising power in the Insurance Companies nor any private interest of newspaper owners in real estate could prevent the thing "getting into the newspapers." IF LONDON WERE DEVASTATED BY AN EARTHQUAKE NO ADVERTISING POWER IN THE INSURANCE COMPANIES NOR ANY PRIVATE INTEREST OF NEWSPAPER OWNERS IN REAL ESTATE COULD PREVENT THE THING GETTING INTO THE NEWSPAPERS
hich is synonymous with failure of power. When people talked of the newspaper owners as "representing public opinion" there was a shadow of reality in such talk, absurd as it seems to us to-day. Though the doctrine that newspapers are "organs of public opinion" was (like most nineteenth century so-called "Liberal" doctrines) falsely stated and hypocritical, it had that element of truth about it--at least, in the earlier phase of newspaper development. There is even a certain savour of truth hanging about it to this day. Newspapers are only offered for sale; the purchase of them is not (as yet) compulsorily enforced. A newspaper can, therefore, never succeed unless it prints news in which people are interested and on the nature of which they can be taken in. A newspaper can manufacture interest, but there are certain broad currents in human affairs which neither a newspaper proprietor nor any other human being can control. If England is at war no newspaper can boycott war news and live. UGH FAILURE OF CIRCULATION WHICH IS SYNONYMOUS WITH FAILURE OF POWER WHEN PEOPLE TALKED OF THE NEWSPAPER OWNERS AS REPRESENTING PUBLIC OPINION THERE WAS A SHADOW OF REALITY IN SUCH TALK ABSURD AS IT SEEMS TO US TO DAY THOUGH THE DOCTRINE THAT NEWSPAPERS ARE ORGANS OF PUBLIC OPINION WAS LIKE MOST NINETEENTH CENTURY SO CALLED LIBERAL DOCTRINES FALSELY STATED AND HYPOCRITICAL IT HAD THAT ELEMENT OF TRUTH ABOUT IT AT LEAST IN THE EARLY PHASE OF NEWSPAPER DEVELOPMENT THERE IS EVEN A CERTAIN SAVOUR OF TRUTH HANGING ABOUT IT TO THIS DAY NEWSPAPERS ARE ONLY OFFERED FOR SALE THE PURCHASE OF THEM IS NOT AS YET COMPULSORILY ENFORCED A NEWSPAPER CAN THEREFORE NEVER SUCCEED UNLESS IT PRINTS NEWS IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED AND ON THE NATURE OF WHICH THEY CAN BE TAKEN IN A NEWSPAPER CAN MANUFACTURE INTEREST BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN BROAD CURRENTS IN HUMAN AFFAIRS WHICH NEITHER A NEWSPAPER PROPRIETOR NOR ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING CAN CONTROL IF ENGLAND IS AT WAR NO NEWSPAPER CAN BOY CAT WAR NEWS AND LIVE
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb
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