The Free Press

The model for the “free press” in the US was Ben Franklin’s publications.  At age 17, he bought the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1729 and it became the most popular newspaper in the Colonies.  He also published Poor Richard’s Almanac from 1732 to 1758 and sold 10,000 copies per year.

These publications were full of news, useful information and wisdom. The common sense they conveyed made them credible and popular. His business success can be attributed to his early start and his understanding of and use of his abilities.  He was interested in useful science, inventions and politics.  He was a leader in the many groups he founded and participated in.  In cities, business owners got to know each other and Franklin was very popular. I doubt that Franklin wrote things his friends would disapprove of but I suspect he did nudge them toward the truth as he saw it.

The closest thing to Franklin’s business model we have seen is the family-owned, small-town newspaper more common years ago.  But these newspapers were supported by advertising and that puts some limits on the newspaper’s ability to print things its advertisers would disapprove of. I remember hearing advice from my elders who said: “Don’t believe everything you read in the newspaper”. What they meant was: “The newspaper can’t print everything it knows.”

Now we have big media corporations who own most or all of our newspapers. Their buddies include all of the global corporations who are aligned with the UN to destroy our sovereignty, our economy and our country. None of them will print a word about it.

The closest thing we have to a free press are blogs like this and the handful of publications we read on line.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader