1946
“A community is low on a ‘Respect’ scale if common courtesy is withheld from large groups of people on account of their political attitudes.”
“...in a downright despotism opposition is dangerous whether the despotism is official or whether it is unofficial...”
“A community rates low on the ‘Information’ scale when the press, radio, and other channels of communication are controlled by only a few people and when citizens have to accept what they are told.”
“See how a community trains its teachers”
“...these students are being taught to accept uncritically whatever they are told. Questions are not encouraged.”
“And if books and newspapers and the radio [and facebook and youtube and...] are officially controlled the people will read and accept exactly what the few in control want them to. Government censorship is one form of control. The newspaper that breaks the government censorship rule can be suspended. It is also possible for newspapers and other lines of communication to be controlled by private interests...”
Democracy (Encyclopedia Britannica film, circa 1946)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx25aMPvbJo
“The newspapers of a real democracy meet these tests...”
Newspaper checks.
1. Balance of coverage
2. Disclosure of source
3. Competence of staff
An interesting topic, that. I wonder why it is so easy for teachers, or professors to convince young people their parents have lied to them all their lives, but as those same students grow older it becomes very hard to convince them they have been deceived by educators.