Louis Boccardi Quotes

I respect the press. The press and the media are a very useful watchdog to check the power of the government.

To say that the newspaper press represents public opinion is to administer insult to intelligent men. It is the property of speculators, political leaders, large contractors and railway directors.

The U.S. corporate media, otherwise known as the "free press," is that hollow pillar on which contemporary American democracy rests.

I have never quite grasped the worry about the power of the press. After all, it speaks with a thousand voices, in constant dissonance.

Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.

The press is the enemy.

I respect very much the role of the media in our society; I think they can be very, very helpful. They serve as a very useful check, sort of a watchdog over the actions of the government, and I respect that.

I take a grave view of the press. It is the weak slat under the bed of democracy.

The press, that distinguished appendage of public liberty … has been invariably prostituted …

The newspapers of your country seem to be more powerful than the government.

We do not need a censorship of the press. We have a censorship by the press.

The press, like fire, is an excellent servant, but a terrible master.

The chief danger which threatens the influence and honor of the press is the tendency of its liberty to degenerate into license.

There is a power in our land, irresponsible, corrupt and malicious—‘the press,’ which has created the intense feelings of hostility that has arrayed the two parts of the country against each other, which must be curbed and brought within the just limits of reason and law, before we can have peace in America. We can deal with armies who have a visible and tangible existence, but it will require tact and skill and courage to clip the wings of this public enemy.

I think there are a lot of reasons to be critical of the media in America.

The rules are all wrong today. The mandate of the media really does pre-date the founding of the United States.

I used to think the press was a necessary evil and now I don't think it is. I think it's something you choose.

Democracies succeed or fail based on their journalism.

Well, thank God for a media that will ask questions.

The media is absolutely essential to the functioning of a democracy. It's not our job to cozy up to power. We're supposed to be the check and balance on government.

The last thing we want is politicians running newspapers, but so too we don't want newspapers running the government.

I happen to believe that any legitimate news organization in the world would do that interview. And if the United States is going to be a proponent of a free press, it has to walk the walk.

A free press can of course be good or bad, but most certainly, without freedom it will never be anything but bad.

If you don't think a television news show represents the truth, you can turn off your TV. If you don't think a magazine represents the truth, you can cancel your subscription. You have the right to expose yourself to whatever information you want. But to have the government prescribing what the truth is or limiting the information available for the citizen is contrary to the 1st Amendment.

The fourth estate which if not well looked to, will turn us all out of doors.