If we go on as we are, we are protecting the mind of the American public from any real contact with the menacing world that squeezes in upon us. We are engaged in a great experiment to discover whether a free public opinion can devise and direct methods of managing the affairs of the nation. We may fail. But we are handicapping ourselves needlessly.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Murrow warns that shielding the public from real-world threats undermines democracy and handicaps the nation's ability to manage its affairs.
- In plain terms
- Protecting people from bad news keeps them from solving real problems and weakens democracy.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoiding harsh realities weakens a society's ability to govern itself.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How much truth does the public need to function?
- What are the risks of total transparency?
Another view
Some information may be too sensitive to share publicly without causing panic.
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