'Freedom of the press is the mortar that binds together the bricks of democracy -- and it is also the open window embedded in those bricks.' -- Speech at the UN's World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2001
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Press freedom is essential for democracy to exist and allows public scrutiny.
- In plain terms
- Freedom of the press holds democracy together and lets in light.
- What can you take from it?
- Democracy requires a free press to function and stay open.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What holds democracy together?
- Why is press freedom vital?
Another view
It assumes free press is the only binding factor in democracy.
More from Shashi Tharoor
'The vehicles of human politics seem to run off course, but the site of the accident turns out to have been the intended destination.' [16]
Permalink to quote #34 'Of course, we meet to mourn that part of our human family that is missing -- to remember the individuals and tell each other their stories. But we also meet t…
Permalink to quote #36 'Basic truth about the colonies, Heaslop. Any time there's trouble, you can put it down to books. Too many of the wrong ideas getting into the heads of the wro…
Permalink to quote #33
Related quotes
The liberty of the press is the palladium of all the civil, political, and religious rights of an Englishman.
JuniusJunius quote #2 Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.
Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson quote #13 The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we sh…
Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson quote #15