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large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb
English
7264
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. 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
 his wishes. Many are directly ordered by him. We are, if we talk in terms of real things (as men do in their private councils at Westminster) mainly governed to-day, not even by the professional politicians, nor even by those who pay them money, but by whatever owner of a newspaper trust is, for the moment, the most unscrupulous and the most ambitious. How did such a catastrophe come about? That is what we must inquire into before going further to examine its operation and the possible remedy. VI During all this development of the Press there has been present, _first_, as a doctrine plausible and 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 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.  CHAPTER SIX OF THE FREE PRESS BY HILAIRE BELLOC RECORDING BY SHAME MC LEAN DURING ALL THIS DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRESS THERE HAS BEEN PRESENT FIRST AS A DOCTRINE PLAUSIBLE AND 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
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