The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-08-06

offensive tactic is strong unless behind it
there is flaming public will, set afire by
understanding and public knowledge.
"Dictators in their own cynical and
brutal way, know the fighting power of
the newspaper and as matter of course,
manipulate their press as a mere machine
of war. This course of the dictators is
completely alien to democracy. When a
democracy fights war, newspapers are
not ignobly herded into forced service;
they are among the first to volunteer. But
they move into the battle sector of public
understanding, opinion and morale :.
MIR. Llienthal emphasized the four
functions of the press: first, to report;
second, to criticize; third, to clarity and
fourth, to unity.
In discussing the newspapers first
function, it was pointed out that the people
should be given all of the facts and all of
the war information possible that would
not give aid to the enemy.
"In democracy we want neither the
government nor our newspaper editors to
decide for us what particular expressions
or opinion or what facts will hurt our
morale No more do we want either our
editors or our government officials to feel
that they must serve up the war with high
pressure emotional mountaineering AS
a people we are allergic to overdone emo
tionalism in print or pictures.
GAS to the publication, then of opinions
that may seem both outlandish and harm
full, if they do not fall afoul of outright
sedition, the only safe and effective course
is to stick to reporting, for such policy
works out we'll in practice When one
misleading prediction after another turns
out to be silly in the light of events, such
men find themselves in the as-yet unpub-
ished "Who's Hooey of the war"
Discussing the second function, the
IVA chairman said "the right and even
the duty to criticize seems to be more i'm
portant in time of war than at any other
time, for it is in the rough and tumble of
public discussion that the weak sisters in
public service take the count, that the be-
hind-the-scenes operators are smoked out,
that scandals are averted or exposed =.
There is no sacred class in America that
should be exempt from public criticism.
There is no one, public officer or private
citizen, no matter how powerful or appar-
emily well-entranced, who can ignore and
defy public opinion when he has been
caught off base. Criticism by newspapers
provides a safeguard that is even more i'm
portant in the tumult and tension of war
than in the normal times"
It was further emphasized that all
criticism should serve to remind us of the
truth that every public office holder might
well daily repeat: "For today WELD some
of the powers of the state-but must new
er for moment think that I am that pow
er. AS public official, am in the service
of the public and to the public l am in ev-
erything responsible and accountable"
Another heavy responsibility of clari-
flying and interpreting the meaning of the
war rests upon the press. "This is not
merely war of armies and navies and air
fleets; this is war of whole populations
and ideas in the minds of men. Not only
our armed men, but our whole people must
be in on this war if we are to win. Hence
the whole people must understand the war.
Newspaper men and newspapers have
special talent for this job of clarifying.
Who then is better equipped to clarity in
the minds of the American people the is
sues of this great cataclysm, to separate the
essential facts in all this overwhelming
maze?"