Page "Journalism" Paragraph 5

Lippmann's elitism has had consequences that he came to deplore.

An apostle of historicism and scientism, Lippmann did not merely hold that democratic government was a problematic exercise, but regarded all political communities, of whatever stripe, as needing guidance from a transcendent partisanship for accurate information and dispassionate judgment.

In " Liberty and the News " ( 1919 ) and " Public Opinion " ( 1921 ) Lippmann expressed the hope that liberty could be redefined to take account of the scientific and historical perspective and that public opinion could be managed by a system of intelligence in and out of government.

Thus the liberty of the journalist was to be dedicated to gathering verifiable facts while commentators like himself would place the news in the broader perspective.

Lippmann deplored the influence of powerful newspaper publishers and preferred the judgments of the " patient and fearless men of science.

" In so doing, he did not merely denigrate the opinion of the majority but also of those who had influence or power as well.

In a republican form of government, the representatives are chosen by the people and share with them adherence to the fundamental principles and political institutions of the polity.

Lippmann's quarrel was with those very principles and institutions, for they are the product of the pre-scientific and pre-historical viewpoint and what for him was a groundless natural rights political philosophy.