large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb_8
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb
English
7264
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. 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
ich 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. 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. IMPLY 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 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
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