large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb_4
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_06_belloc_64kb
English
7264
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. 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
 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. 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.  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 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
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