There is a famous quote from Thomas Jefferson during the founding period that given a choice between government or a free press, he would choose the free press every time. Less well known is that 6 years into his presidency he said that it is better to have no press at all because someone who is completely ignorant is better informed than someone who reads the garbage in the papers. Did the papers change significantly from 1788 to 1806 or did Thomas Jefferson have a different view/experience as president? I suspect the latter. As much as I decry the banality of today’s media, I suppose I would rather have Bill O’Reilly facing off against Keith Olberman every night than to have the limited controlled media in China or the terrorized semi-free press of many other countries.
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