Intellectual Prostitutes

Intellectual Prostitutes 1880

Intellectual Prostitutes.
" What sort of Truth is it that crushes the freedom to seek the truth"
John Swinton on the Free Press

One night, in 1880, John Swinton, then the pre-eminent New York journalist, was the guest of honour at a banquet given to him by the leaders of his craft. Someone who knew neither the press nor Swinton offered a toast to the independent press. Swinton outraged his colleagues by replying:

"There is no such thing at this date of the world's history, in America 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 opinion out of the paper I am connected with.
Other's 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 his country and his race 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 vassels of 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."

(Source: Labor's Untold Story, by Richard O. Boyer and Herbert M. Morais, published byUnited Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America, NY, 1955/1979

Do you suppose much has changed ?

" I think that in the minds of many, the press is being seen less and less as a neutral observer in the impeachment enterprise and more and more as participants, or even collaborators". (On Media's participation in Watergate)
Patrick Buchanon