CHAPTER XXXVIII
OWNING THE PRESS
The methods by which the "Empire of Business" maintains
its control over Journalism are four: First, ownership of the
papers; second, ownership of the owners; third, advertising
subsidies; and fourth, direct bribery. By these methods there
exists in America a control of news and of current comment
more absolute than any monopoly in any other industry. This
statement may sound extreme, but if you will think about it
you will realize that in the very nature of the case it must be
true. It does not destroy the steel trust if there are a few
independent steel-makers, it does not destroy the money trust
if there are a few independent men of wealth, but it does
destroy the news trust if there is a single independent newspaper
to let the cat out of the bag.
The extent to which outright ownership of newspapers and magazines has been acquired by our financial autocracy would cause astonishment if it were set forth in figures. One could take a map of America and a paint-brush, and make large smudges of color, representing journalistic ownership of whole districts, sometimes of whole states, by special interests. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan would be swept with a yellow smudge—that is copper. The whole state of Montana would be the same, and the greater part of Arizona. A black smudge for Southern Colorado, and another in the Northern part—that is coal. A gray smudge in Western Pennsylvania, and another in Illinois—that is steel. A green smudge in Wisconsin, and another in Oregon and Washington—that is lumber. A white smudge in North Dakota and Minnesota—that is the milling trust, backed by the railroads and the banks. A dirty smudge in central California, representing "Southern Pacific" and "United Railways," now reinforced by "M. and M."
Ten years ago there was a terrific reform campaign in San Francisco, and the reformers started a little weekly called the "Liberator." I quote from one issue:
