interfering with the liberty of the Press...I think it is a great deal better to err a little bit on the side of having too much discussion and having too virulent language used by the Press, rather than err on the side of having them not say what they ought to say, especially with reference to public men and measures.'' -- Theodore Roosevelt Too often politicians, "public men and measures'', who have managed to get themselves in a mess, try to excuse themselves by blaming the Press. The Press does not create their transgressions, it reports them and it should do so.

As Benjamin Franklin said: "Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor liberty to purchase power.'' Far too often politicians and others in positions of public power fail to remember that fact. They would "fail'' much more often if the media were not watching.

Benjamin Franklin also said: "If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.'' Most news, after all, is information which someone wants to suppress.

The Press is not the enemy of the people. Arthur Hays Sulzberger, the great publisher of The New York Times, has said: " The publisher is not granted the privilege of independence simply to provide him with a more favoured position in the community than is accorded to other citizens. He enjoys an explicitly defined independence because it is the only condition under which he can fulfil his role, which is to inform fully, fairly and comprehensively. The crux is not the publisher's `freedom to print', it is rather the citizen's `right to know'.'' Too often in Bermuda people in high office try to convince the public that they do not have a "right to know'' about that person's transgressions. They say, as best they can, that they are being put upon by the media or that the Press is "out to get poor me''. Yet "poor me'' asks for public support but does not want the public to be in the know. That would curtail the public's freedom.

Freedom of the Press is a right granted to the public for their protection against their government and against other people of power and influence. The free Press is essential in Bermuda to keeping the Government on the "straight and narrow'' and to keeping individuals in power "clean and honest''.

If those people in power were always open and honest with the people there would be no need for the media to concern itself with politicians. Good governors have nothing to hide.