John Swinton, the former Chief of Staff for the New York Times, was one of America,s best loved newspapermen. Called by his peers "The Dean of his profession". John was asked in 1953 to give a toast before the New York Press Club, and in so doing made a monumentally important and revealing statement. He is quoted as follow:
"There is no such thing , at this date of the world,s history, in America as an independant 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 opinions out of the paper I am connected with. Othes of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who woud be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for anothe 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 journalists 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 the folly of this toasting an independent press? We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are jumping jacks, they pull he string and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. WE ARE INTELLECTUAL PROSTITUTES'"
