large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_02_belloc_64kb_4
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_02_belloc_64kb
English
7264
I would particularly insist upon this last point. It is little understood and it is vital. I WOULD PARTICULARLY INSIST UPON THIS LAST POINT IT IS LITTLE UNDERSTOOD AND IT IS VITAL
e in this: that false ideas are suggested by false news and especially by news which is false through suppression. First, of News:-- News, that is, information with regard to those things which affect us but which are not within our own immediate view, is necessary to the life of the State. The obvious, the extremely cheap, the _universal_ means of propagating it, is by word of mouth. A man has seen a thing; many men have seen a thing. They testify to that thing, and others who have heard them repeat their testimony. The Press thrust into the midst of this natural system (which is still that upon which all reasonable men act, whenever they can, in matters most nearly concerning them) two novel features, both of them exceedingly corrupting. In the first place, it gave to the printed words a _rapidity of extension_ with which repeated spoken words could not compete. In the second place, it gave them a _mechanical similarity_ which was the very opposite to the marks of healthy human news. EGARDED SEPARATELY THOUGH THEY MERGE IN THIS THAT FALSE IDEAS ARE SUGGESTED BY FALSE NEWS AND ESPECIALLY BY NEWS WHICH IS FALSE THROUGH SUPPRESSION FIRST OF NEWS NEWS THAT IS INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO THOSE THINGS WHICH AFFECT US BUT WHICH ARE NOT WITHIN OUR OWN IMMEDIATE VIEW IS NECESSARY TO THE LIFE OF THE STATE THE OBVIOUS THE EXTREMELY CHEAP THE UNIVERSAL MEANS OF PROPAGATING IT IS BY WORD OF MOUTH A MAN HAS SEEN A THING MANY MEN HAVE SEEN A THING THEY TESTIFY TOO THAT THING AND OTHERS WHO HAVE HEARD THEM REPEAT THEIR TESTIMONY THE PRESS THRUST INTO THE MIDST OF THIS NATURAL SYSTEM WHICH IS STILL THAT UPON WHICH ALL REASONABLE MEN ACT WHENEVER THEY CAN IN MATTERS MOST NEARLY CONCERNING THEM TWO NOVEL FEATURES BOTH OF THEM EXCEEDINGLY CORRUPTING IN THE FIRST PLACE IT GAVE TO THE PRINTED WORDS RAPIDITY OF EXTENSION WITH WHICH REPEATED SPOKEN WORDS COULD NOT COMPETE IN THE SECOND PLACE IT GAVE THEM A MECHANICAL SIMILARITY WHICH WAS THE VERY OPPOSITE TO THE MARKS OF HEALTHY HUMAN NEWS
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