April 3, 2025

The Press, my Lords, is one of our great out-sentries; if we remove it, if we hoodwink it, if we throw it in fetters, the enemy may surprise us.

Thomas Erskine (1750-1823), English statesman, lord chancellor, Defense of Thomas Paine (December 20, 1792), Seldes p.133

In the grand scheme of things, is any beef you have had with the press anything other than you trying to cover your ass? If yes, good for you for saying so. If no, is that a white lie?

We throw around the term “fake news” at our peril.