--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Think of the press as a great keyboard on…" description: "\"Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.\" — Joseph Goebbels" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/joseph-goebbels-4054_government_think-of-the-press-as-a-great-keyboard-o_1794866.jpg" --- # Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the… ![“Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.” quote by Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/joseph-goebbels-4054_government_think-of-the-press-as-a-great-keyboard-o_1794866.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/joseph-goebbels-4054_government_think-of-the-press-as-a-great-keyboard-o_1794866.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/joseph-goebbels-4054_government_think-of-the-press-as-a-great-keyboard-o_1794866.jpg) > “Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.” [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The press is a tool for government messaging, like a keyboard for playing notes. **In simple terms:** Press is a government instrument. Key Takeaway Recognize media influence. Themes media control government propaganda Mood critical cautious Type political historical When to use this quote - newsrooms - political campaigns - public statements Key Concepts information dissemination public opinion political power Questions to Reflect On - How does media shape perception? - What safeguards protect truth? A Different Perspective Free press limits control; ethical concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-play-1979423/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Keyboard Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keyboard-government-1979422/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press/) [Press Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press-great-1979424/) [Think Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-press-950202/) ## Related quotes > [“We have to choose, and for my part I think it a less evil that some criminals should escape than that the government should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/we-have-to-choose-and-for-my-part-i-think-it-a-less-evil-that-some/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [I don't think the press are vindictive. They can write what they want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-gatting/i-don-t-think-the-press-are-vindictive-they-can-write-what-they-want/) [Mike Gatting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-gatting/) > [I think the press is doing a wonderful job of putting the pressure on the decision-makers in Hollywood to support more female directors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-portman/i-think-the-press-is-doing-a-wonderful-job-of-putting-the-pressure-on/) [Natalie Portman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-portman/) > [I think the press is here to inform and empower people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-think-the-press-is-here-to-inform-and-empower-people/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [I think the press are good people; I think they're educated people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/i-think-the-press-are-good-people-i-think-they-re-educated-people/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [I used to think the press was a necessary evil and now I don't think it is. I think it's something you choose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-craig/i-used-to-think-the-press-was-a-necessary-evil-and-now-i-don-t-think/) [Daniel Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-craig/) > [I think the press gets lazy once a certain kind of image is out there. It just adheres, rather than the press trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-kerry/i-think-the-press-gets-lazy-once-a-certain-kind-of-image-is-out-there/) [Alexandra Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-kerry/) > [I don't think the press in England will ever change. It's something that people in the spotlight have to live with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eidur-gudjohnsen/i-don-t-think-the-press-in-england-will-ever-change-it-s-something/) [Eidur Gudjohnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eidur-gudjohnsen/) > [In a way, I think of the press as my colleagues. I don't want to throw hand grenades at people who do something that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/in-a-way-i-think-of-the-press-as-my-colleagues-i-don-t-want-to-throw/) [Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/) > [Its attitude, which it has preached and practiced, is skepticism. Now, it finds, the public is applying that skepticism to the press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-griffith/its-attitude-which-it-has-preached-and-practiced-is-skepticism-now-it/) [Thomas Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-griffith/) > [The press keep asking me, 'What was your biggest mistake?' But if I had made a big mistake, they'd all be writing about it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/the-press-keep-asking-me-what-was-your-biggest-mistake-but-if-i-had/) [Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/) > [The press is the fourth estate of the realm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-press-is-the-fourth-estate-of-the-realm/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [I don't call up the press and say, 'Look at me!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-t/i-don-t-call-up-the-press-and-say-look-at-me/) [Mr. T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-t/) > [Clearly, you can't believe everything you read in the press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-koum/clearly-you-can-t-believe-everything-you-read-in-the-press/) [Jan Koum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-koum/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) ## More by Joseph Goebbels > [If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-you-tell-a-lie-big-enough-and-keep-repeating-it-people-will/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [ \[Hitler thought\] that Mussolini was no figure of world history, like der Fuehrer or Stalin. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/hitler-thought-that-mussolini-was-no-figure-of-world-history-like-der/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [When you stroll through Munich it can happen that you suddenly stand in front of an old house, an idyllically-dreaming church that smiles like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/when-you-stroll-through-munich-it-can-happen-that-you-suddenly-stand/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [Intellectual activity is a danger to the building of character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/intellectual-activity-is-a-danger-to-the-building-of-character/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [There was no point in seeking to convert the intellectuals. For intellectuals would never be converted and would anyway always yield to the stronger,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/there-was-no-point-in-seeking-to-convert-the-intellectuals-for/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [If you tell a lie, tell a big one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-you-tell-a-lie-tell-a-big-one/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [Our starting point is not the individual: We do not subscribe to the view that one should feed the hungry, give drink to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/our-starting-point-is-not-the-individual-we-do-not-subscribe-to-the/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-you-repeat-a-lie-often-enough-people-will-believe-it-and-you-will/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [A media system wants ostensible diversity that conceals an actual uniformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/a-media-system-wants-ostensible-diversity-that-conceals-an-actual/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [Not every item of news should be published. Rather must those who control news policies endeavor to make every item of news serve a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/not-every-item-of-news-should-be-published-rather-must-those-who/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-you-repeat-a-lie-often-enough-it-becomes-the-truth/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [One should not as a rule reveal one's secrets, since one does not know if and when one may need them again. The essential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/one-should-not-as-a-rule-reveal-one-s-secrets-since-one-does-not-know/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [At night I sit in my chamber and read the bible. Far in the distance roars the sea. Then I lie down and think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/at-night-i-sit-in-my-chamber-and-read-the-bible-far-in-the-distance/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [If the German people lay down their arms the whole of Eastern and Southern Europe, together with the Reich, will come under Russian occupation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-the-german-people-lay-down-their-arms-the-whole-of-eastern-and/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated are confident they are acting on their own free will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/propaganda-works-best-when-those-who-are-being-manipulated-are/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) [Explore all 116 Joseph Goebbels quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) ## More Government quotes > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [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/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Louisiana's spicy, colorful politics have saddled our state with a reputation for tolerating lax ethical standards in government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/louisiana-s-spicy-colorful-politics-have-saddled-our-state-with-a/) [John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [He is almost a statesman. He lies well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/he-is-almost-a-statesman-he-lies-well/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [We can't have a government that will collapse in three months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/we-can-t-have-a-government-that-will-collapse-in-three-months/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Browse all 21,248 Government quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph Goebbels" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/think-of-the-press-as-a-great-keyboard-on-which-the-government-can/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Government" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/think-of-the-press-as-a-great-keyboard-on-which-the-government-can/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/joseph-goebbels-4054_government_think-of-the-press-as-a-great-keyboard-o_1794866.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/joseph-goebbels-4054_government_think-of-the-press-as-a-great-keyboard-o_1794866.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/joseph-goebbels-4054_government_think-of-the-press-as-a-great-keyboard-o_1794866.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.” — Joseph Goebbels", "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": "Joseph Goebbels", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Think of the press as a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/think-of-the-press-as-a-great-keyboard-on-which-the-government-can/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/think-of-the-press-as-a-great-keyboard-on-which-the-government-can/#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 } } ] } ```