Summarise the prose How Free is the Press.
Or, Write the summary of How Free is the Press.
Ans. That without a free press there can be no free people is a things that all
free people take for granted, we need not discuss it. Nor will we at this momen
discuss the restrictions placed upon the press in time of war. At such Times al
liberties have to be restricted, free people must see to it that when peace come
full freedom is restored in the meantime, it may Be wholesome to consider wha
that freedom is, and how far it is truly destraple. It may trun out to be no freedom
at all, or even a more freedom to tyrannies, for tyranny is fact, the uncontrolle
freedom of one man, or one gang, to impose its will on the world. When w
speak of the freedom of the press, we usually means freedom in a very technica
and restricted sense-namely, Freedom from direction or censorship by th
government. In this respect, the British press is under ordinary condition
Singulary free. It can attack the policy and political charactor of minister interfer
in the delicate machinery of foreign deplomacy, conduct campaigns to subjec
the constitution incite citizens to discontent and rebellion, expose scandals an
foment grievance, and generally harry and behaviour the servants of the stat
With almost perfect liberty on occasion, it can become a weapon to coerce th
government to conform to what it asserts to be the will of the people.
So far, this is all to the good. Occasionally, this freedom may. Produ
disastrous hesitations and inconsistencies in public policy, or tend to hemperti
suift execution of emergency measures, but generally speaking it works
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secure and sustain that central doctive of Democracy as we understand it-u
the state is not the master but the servant of the people.
The press as a whole, and in technical and restrict sense, is thus pretty i
in a peaceful Britain. There is no shade of political opinion that does not se
how contrive to express itself. But if we go on to imagine that any particu
organ of the press enjoys the larger liberty of being a forum of
public opinion
and in its turn, like the unmerciful sarvant, exercise a power full bondage
express opinion as to manufacture it.
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