The nature of the press by Fremdfirma

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The nature of the press

POSTED BY: FREMDFIRMA
UPDATED: Friday, August 17, 2007 13:34
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Friday, August 17, 2007 11:00 AM

Just something to keep in mind when reading any of your favorite mainstream publications, regardless of their poltical bent.

"There is no such thing, at this date of the world's history, as an independent press. You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinions out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job.

If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my paper, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone. The business of the journalist is to destroy the truth; to lie outright; to pervert; to vilify; to fawn at the feet of Mammon, and to sell the country for his daily bread. You know it and I know it and what folly is this toasting an independent press. We are the tools and vassals of the rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes."

-John Swinton, the former chief of staff at the New York Times.
From a speech given at the new york press club in 1880.

Everyone's got an agenda, and so, to quote one of the rare few intelligent things Reagan ever said..
"Trust but Verify."

-F

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Friday, August 17, 2007 1:14 PM

MALBADINLATIN

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:
-John Swinton, the former chief of staff at the New York Times.
From a speech given at the new york press club in 1880.

I presume that Swinton became the former chief of staff at that meeting?

If you're not on Malbadinlatin's side, you're with the terrorists.

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Friday, August 17, 2007 1:34 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Actually he became a voice for labor rights, apparently, for at least four years after that, although given the impending clash between the exploited workers and the corporate robber barons which would come to a head around 1910, he wasn't really well received by his intended audience and fell into historical obscurity thereafter.

Various radical elements of labor had already tried striking, campaigning, and most other "polite" avenues of recourse only to be beaten down, ignored, shafted and occasionally arrested.
(See Also: Eugene Debs, Victor Berger)

And so those elements of labor fell upon the time honored tradition of blowing stuff up, resulting in what was sometimes called the Dynamite Terror and the first "Red Scare", and Palmer raids.
http://www.chicagohistory.org/hadc/transcript/exhibits/x000-050/X0380.
htm
(historically, they blew themselves up more often than anyone else, lol.)

In short, he made the mistake of trying to appeal to the reason of people who were watching reason and the rule of law fail them.

-Frem

It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

PS - The source link is a fascinating and extremely informative historical reference for those who are interested.
http://www.chicagohistory.org/hadc/transcript/trialtoc.htm

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