Photo: GrowingBolder.com  

John Swinton (1830-1901) was the chief editorial journalist at the New York Times from 1860 to 1870 and for the New York Sun from 1875-1897. In 1880 while as a guest of honour at a banquet of leading journalists , he was offered a ‘toast to the independent press’ and he outraged his colleagues by replying:

“There is no such thing, at this state of the world’s history, in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinion out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to write…