Public Opinion Quarterly 10:85-92 (1946)
© 1946 American Association for Public Opinion Research
FREEDOM OF COMMUNICATIONS
In these days of complex world issues and confused public thought, questions may well be raised concerning the obligations of the American press and radio implicitly corollary to the special privileges accorded them under our system. With freedom must go responsibility, but responsibility for what?In the following extracts from a panel discussion held under the auspices of the American Association for the United Nations and the Commission to Study the Organization of Peace, leading spokesmen of the newspaper and radio industries express the conventional concept of their limited obligation: "When you report the facts and report full information honestly, you have done your job in either press or radio...."
More extensive, affirmative obligations, such, for example, as to contribute constructively to understanding between the peoples of the world, to support the U.N., or to put before the world the operation of our form of democracy, are expressly or implicitly denied.
Mr. Molotov is quoted as saying: "According to the Soviet Constitution, it is a crime to preach animosity among races and nations, anti-Semitism, and so on, just as it is not permitted in our press to exalt murder, robbery and acts of violence against human beings...." This, the panel members say, is not the American way; it is not within our definition of "freedom of the press."
How certain portions of the American press are sowing discord among both nations and races may be seen in "Hate Propaganda in Detroit" (this issue) and "Texas Newspaper Opinion: II" (next issue).
Americans today are suffering increasingly from acute psychological conflicts reflected in a starting incidence of insanity and nervous disorders. Are the American press and radio helping to increase these tension levels by constantly slanting their content toward conflict rather than agreement? The panel admits but excuses this practice by saying it is what the public wants: "If you report conflict, people read the story, and if you report agreement, they don't." But is this sufficient justification?
With such problems in mind, the Editor hopes to encourage future, continuing studies of what the press and radio do and should do in post-war America.
Appreciation is expressed to the American Association of the United Nations for granting permission to reprint the following extracts from its pamphlet, "Looking to the United Nations Assembly."