--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The liberty of the press is most…" description: "\"The liberty of the press is most generally approved when it takes liberties with the other fellow, and leaves us alone\" — Edgar Watson Howe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/408/edgar-watson-howe-56669_freedom_the-liberty-of-the-press-is-most-general_1825062.jpg" --- # The liberty of the press is most generally approved when… ![“The liberty of the press is most generally approved when it takes liberties with the other fellow, and leaves us alone” quote by Edgar Watson Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/408/edgar-watson-howe-56669_freedom_the-liberty-of-the-press-is-most-general_1825062.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/408/edgar-watson-howe-56669_freedom_the-liberty-of-the-press-is-most-general_1825062.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/408/edgar-watson-howe-56669_freedom_the-liberty-of-the-press-is-most-general_1825062.jpg) > “The liberty of the press is most generally approved when it takes liberties with the other fellow, and leaves us alone” [Edgar Watson Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-watson-howe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Press freedom is praised when it respects others and stays out of personal affairs. **In simple terms:** Freedom works when it respects others. Key Takeaway Respect privacy in journalism. Themes press freedom ethics responsibility Mood critical thoughtful Type journalistic ethical When to use this quote - investigative reporting - political commentary - social media - public policy Key Concepts Media studies law Questions to Reflect On - When should the press intervene in personal matters? - How to protect privacy without censorship? A Different Perspective Balancing free speech with personal rights is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Liberties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberties/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press/) ## Related quotes > [A free spirit takes liberties even with liberty itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-picabia/a-free-spirit-takes-liberties-even-with-liberty-itself/) [Francis Picabia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-picabia/) > [When someone has to intervene to defend the liberty of the press, that society is sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/when-someone-has-to-intervene-to-defend-the-liberty-of-the-press-that/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [Only a real asshole takes liberties with someone else's car stereo. That's serious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/only-a-real-asshole-takes-liberties-with-someone-else-s-car-stereo/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [The liberty of the press is a blessing when we are inclined to write against others, and a calamity when we find ourselves overborne…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-liberty-of-the-press-is-a-blessing-when-we-are-inclined-to-write/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The Liberty of the press consists in the right to publish with impunity truth with good motives for justifiable ends, though reflecting on government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/the-liberty-of-the-press-consists-in-the-right-to-publish-with/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [The liberty of the press is not confined to newspapers and periodicals. It necessarily embraces pamphlets and leaflets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-liberty-of-the-press-is-not-confined-to-newspapers-and/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free state: but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blackstone/the-liberty-of-the-press-is-indeed-essential-to-the-nature-of-a-free/) [William Blackstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blackstone/) > [The liberty of the press would be an empty sound, and no man would venture to write on any subject, however, pure his purpose,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-erskine-1st-baron-erskine/the-liberty-of-the-press-would-be-an-empty-sound-and-no-man-would/) [Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-erskine-1st-baron-erskine/) > [ That this liberty \[of the press\] is often carried to excess; that it has sometimes degenerated into licentiousness, is seen and lamented, but the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/that-this-liberty-of-the-press-is-often-carried-to-excess-that-it-has/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“The criminal excesses of unlimited capitalistic liberty had soon been checked thanks to the unlimited liberty of the press.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-de-madariaga/the-criminal-excesses-of-unlimited-capitalistic-liberty-had-soon-been/) [Salvador de Madariaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-de-madariaga/) > [If I were to give liberty to the press, my power could not last three days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/if-i-were-to-give-liberty-to-the-press-my-power-could-not-last-three/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [“in order to enjoy the inestimable benefits which the liberty of the press ensures, it is necessary to submit to the inevitable evils which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-order-to-enjoy-the-inestimable-benefits-which-the-liberty-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“At that time, for the thought written in stone, there existed a privilege perfectly comparable to our present liberty of the press. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/at-that-time-for-the-thought-written-in-stone-there-existed-a/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The true liberty of the press is amply secured by permitting every man to publish his opinion; but it is due to the peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mckean/the-true-liberty-of-the-press-is-amply-secured-by-permitting-every/) Thomas McKean > [Despotism can no more exist in a nation until the liberty of the press be destroyed than the night can happen before the sun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/despotism-can-no-more-exist-in-a-nation-until-the-liberty-of-the/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## More by Edgar Watson Howe > [The few men who have managed to reach heaven must be terribly spoiled by this time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-watson-howe/the-few-men-who-have-managed-to-reach-heaven-must-be-terribly-spoiled/) [Edgar Watson Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-watson-howe/) > [Everyone has something ancestral, even if it is nothing more than a disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-watson-howe/everyone-has-something-ancestral-even-if-it-is-nothing-more-than-a/) [Edgar Watson Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-watson-howe/) > [Even if a farmer intends to loaf, he gets up in time to have an early start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-watson-howe/even-if-a-farmer-intends-to-loaf-he-gets-up-in-time-to-have-an-early/) [Edgar Watson Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-watson-howe/) > [It's no credit to anyone to work too hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-watson-howe/it-s-no-credit-to-anyone-to-work-too-hard/) [Edgar Watson Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-watson-howe/) > [“If your faith is opposed to experience, to human learning and investigation, it is not worth the breath used to give it expression.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-watson-howe/if-your-faith-is-opposed-to-experience-to-human-learning-and-2/) [Edgar Watson Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-watson-howe/) [Explore all 6 Edgar Watson Howe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-watson-howe/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. 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I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) [Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The liberty of the press is most generally approved when it takes liberties with the other fellow, and leaves us alone", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edgar Watson Howe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-watson-howe/the-liberty-of-the-press-is-most-generally-approved-when-it-takes/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-watson-howe/the-liberty-of-the-press-is-most-generally-approved-when-it-takes/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/408/edgar-watson-howe-56669_freedom_the-liberty-of-the-press-is-most-general_1825062.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/408/edgar-watson-howe-56669_freedom_the-liberty-of-the-press-is-most-general_1825062.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/408/edgar-watson-howe-56669_freedom_the-liberty-of-the-press-is-most-general_1825062.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The liberty of the press is most generally approved when it takes liberties with the other fellow, and…” — Edgar Watson Howe", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edgar Watson Howe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-watson-howe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The liberty of the press is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-watson-howe/the-liberty-of-the-press-is-most-generally-approved-when-it-takes/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-watson-howe/the-liberty-of-the-press-is-most-generally-approved-when-it-takes/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```