OCR Text |
Show The Freedom of the Press- The habit of newspaper men is to talk glibly about the value of the freedom of the press to the people of the United States but, too often, they fail to stress the equally important fact that this freedom must not only include an absence of government interference but an actual freedom of ulterior interests in tha management of the press. No man has a higher regard for the lieedom cf the press than the writer but it is not to be obtained unless newspaper men vigorously insist upon the freedom that can come only when ownership of the press is not linked with other interests. in-terests. In the comparatively small cHles of ihi: nation freedom from other .nteiests is generally the rule and the newspaper is usually the sole business venture of its owner. They have no conflicting financial investments that might militate aga nst the expressions that one expects from a free press. However, there have been cases in the United States when huRe corporations became interested in the ownership of newspapers, to be rsed as mouthpieces for their interests in-terests and to suppress unfavorable news. Under such conditions freedom free-dom cf the prers is a meaningless phlrase and a free press does not exist. |