large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb_9
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb
English
7264
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. 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
 general thought and will at all. 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. It is perfectly clear that the Press in itself simply represents the news which its owners desire to print and the opinions which they desire to propagate; and this argument against the Press has always been used by those who are opposed to its influence at any moment. But there is no smoke without fire, and the element of truth in the legend that the Press "represents" opinion lies in this, that there is a _limit_ of outrageous contradiction to known truths beyond which it cannot go without heavy financial loss through failure of circulation, which is synonymous with failure of power. D OBVIOUSLY NOT TOUCH THE GENERAL THOUGHT AND WILL AT ALL 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 IT IS PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT THE PRESS IN ITSELF SIMPLY REPRESENTS THE NEWS WHICH ITS OWNERS DESIRE TO PRINT IN THE OPINIONS WHICH THEY DESIRE TO PROPAGATE AND THIS ARGUMENT AGAINST THE PRESS HAS ALWAYS BEEN USED BY THOSE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO ITS INFLUENCE AT ANY MOMENT BUT THERE IS NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE AND THE ELEMENT OF TRUTH IN THE LEGEND THAT THE PRESS REPRESENTS OPINION LIES IN THIS THAT THERE IS A LIMIT OF OUTRAGEOUS CONTRADICTION TO KNOWN TRUTHS BEYOND WHICH IT CANNOT GO WITHOUT HEAVY FINANCIAL LOSS THROUGH FAILURE OF CIRCULATION WHICH IS SYNONYMOUS WITH FAILURE OF POWER
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb.flac