In his retirement speech at the prestigious New York Press Club, the man whom newsmen called “The Dean of His Profession,” John Swinton, the Editor and Chief of Staff of the New York Times, stated his real concern in covering the ideology of a “free” press:
“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 $150 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 24 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 ...
