--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a seldom proffered argument as to…" description: "\"It is a seldom proffered argument as to the advantages of a free press that it has a major function in keeping the government itself informed as to wha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/walter-cronkite-1759_advantage_it-is-a-seldom-proffered-argument-as-to_770570.jpg" --- # It is a seldom proffered argument as to the advantages of… ![“It is a seldom proffered argument as to the advantages of a free press that it has a major function in keeping the government itself informed as to what the government is doing.” quote by Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/walter-cronkite-1759_advantage_it-is-a-seldom-proffered-argument-as-to_770570.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/walter-cronkite-1759_advantage_it-is-a-seldom-proffered-argument-as-to_770570.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/walter-cronkite-1759_advantage_it-is-a-seldom-proffered-argument-as-to_770570.jpg) > “It is a seldom proffered argument as to the advantages of a free press that it has a major function in keeping the government itself informed as to what the government is doing.” [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A free press not only informs the public but also serves as a feedback channel to the government about its own actions. **In simple terms:** Press informs both public and government. Key Takeaway Use media to hold officials accountable. Themes freedom of press government accountability transparency Mood critical informed Type analytical political When to use this quote - journalism - policy making - civic engagement - government reporting Key Concepts democracy media ethics public oversight Questions to Reflect On - How can journalists ensure independence? - What mechanisms keep government responsive to media? A Different Perspective The press may be limited by censorship or corporate control. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Free press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-press/) [Function](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-doing-259921/) [Government Informed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-informed-5956877/) [Informed Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/informed-government-1847635/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Keeping Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keeping-government-1516632/) [Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majors/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Presses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presses/) ## Related quotes > [Regardless of all of the ways that the media have changed in recent years, one thing that will never go out of style in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candice-s-miller/regardless-of-all-of-the-ways-that-the-media-have-changed-in-recent/) [Candice S. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candice-s-miller/) > [It's a difficult thing today to be informed about our government even without all the secrecy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/it-s-a-difficult-thing-today-to-be-informed-about-our-government-even/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [People have been very strong against Obamacare since I was first elected, and they still feel that way. They want us to work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-fleischmann/people-have-been-very-strong-against-obamacare-since-i-was-first/) [Chuck Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-fleischmann/) > [A rigid economy of the public contributions and absolute interdiction of all useless expenses will go far towards keeping the government honest and unoppressive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-rigid-economy-of-the-public-contributions-and-absolute-interdiction/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Individual liberty depends upon keeping government under control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/individual-liberty-depends-upon-keeping-government-under-control/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Keeping government running really well, to me, is incredibly important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lonsdale/keeping-government-running-really-well-to-me-is-incredibly-important/) [Joe Lonsdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lonsdale/) > [Not only do we have a right to know, we have a duty to know what our Government is doing in our name. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/not-only-do-we-have-a-right-to-know-we-have-a-duty-to-know-what-our/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [Not only do we have a right to know, we have a duty to know what our Government is doing in our name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/not-only-do-we-have-a-right-to-know-we-have-a-duty-to-know-what-our-2/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [A free press isn't the enemy of America; it's a big part of why makes America great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-karl/a-free-press-isn-t-the-enemy-of-america-it-s-a-big-part-of-why-makes/) [Jonathan Karl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-karl/) > [What is the value of having millions of people in Iraq not having a repressive regime? What is the value of having the Iraqi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/what-is-the-value-of-having-millions-of-people-in-iraq-not-having-a/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/were-it-left-to-me-to-decide-whether-we-should-have-a-government/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [It is part of what makes America great. That tradition of the free press, and also the tradition of this highly competitive market for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/it-is-part-of-what-makes-america-great-that-tradition-of-the-free/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [A free press is not a privilege but an organic necessity in a great society. ... A great society is simply a big and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/a-free-press-is-not-a-privilege-but-an-organic-necessity-in-a-great/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [No matter how imperfect things are, if you've got a free press everything is correctable, and without it everything is concealable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/no-matter-how-imperfect-things-are-if-you-ve-got-a-free-press/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [It is almost superfluous to say that there is no such thing as a free and independent press among the mainstream news media today.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-baldwin/it-is-almost-superfluous-to-say-that-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-free/) [Chuck Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-baldwin/) ## More by Walter Cronkite > [I'm a liberal, but I'm not biased. Seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-m-a-liberal-but-i-m-not-biased-seriously/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I've gone from the most trusted man in America to one of the most debated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-ve-gone-from-the-most-trusted-man-in-america-to-one-of-the-most/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I do think that the success, although still not complete... in the recognition of equal rights... to all Americans, regardless of color, creed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-do-think-that-the-success-although-still-not-complete-in-the/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [Be kind to an old man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/be-kind-to-an-old-man/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I learned early on that in the real world, the masks of tragedy and comedy adorn the proscenium of every life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-learned-early-on-that-in-the-real-world-the-masks-of-tragedy-and/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [It is clear that military force and our policy of preemption are alone insufficient to make us safe. But help is on the way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/it-is-clear-that-military-force-and-our-policy-of-preemption-are/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [In all my years as a news commentator I was never once, able to tell the truth, about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/in-all-my-years-as-a-news-commentator-i-was-never-once-able-to-tell/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I think people make way too much of ratings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-think-people-make-way-too-much-of-ratings/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I grew my mustache when I was nineteen in order to look older. I never shaved it off even though it overran its usefulness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-grew-my-mustache-when-i-was-nineteen-in-order-to-look-older-i-never/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I'm so tired of stories starting, 'Maud Jones was walking her dog down Broadway.' You've got to go over to the back page somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-m-so-tired-of-stories-starting-maud-jones-was-walking-her-dog-down/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [All through my life, I have never disguised my sentiments about politics in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/all-through-my-life-i-have-never-disguised-my-sentiments-about/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [The battle for the airwaves cannot be limited to only those who have the bank accounts to pay for the battle and win it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/the-battle-for-the-airwaves-cannot-be-limited-to-only-those-who-have/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [The successful landing on the moon, very probably, is the best story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/the-successful-landing-on-the-moon-very-probably-is-the-best-story/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [If, as they say, the threat of the hangman's noose has a powerful way of focusing one's attention, the same can be said of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/if-as-they-say-the-threat-of-the-hangman-s-noose-has-a-powerful-way/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [We must strengthen the United Nations as a first step toward a World Government, patterned after our Own Government with a legislature, executive and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/we-must-strengthen-the-united-nations-as-a-first-step-toward-a-world/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) [Explore all 210 Walter Cronkite quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) ## More Advantage quotes > [Dogmatists have one advantage: they are poor listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/dogmatists-have-one-advantage-they-are-poor-listeners/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [All I ever wanted was an unfair advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-wynn/all-i-ever-wanted-was-an-unfair-advantage/) [Garrison Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-wynn/) > [Part of the advantage, and part of the result of trying to be a producer and director, are the practical things, you find. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/part-of-the-advantage-and-part-of-the-result-of-trying-to-be-a/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/) [Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/) > [Like funny men, skilled diners are apparently perceived to have an evolutionary advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/like-funny-men-skilled-diners-are-apparently-perceived-to-have-an/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [For some reason when I decide to pursue something, I never have any fear that it won't happen. I think it's just ingrained in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-blatz/for-some-reason-when-i-decide-to-pursue-something-i-never-have-any/) [Kelly Blatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-blatz/) > [I think I have good hands, so I try to use them to my advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-andreescu/i-think-i-have-good-hands-so-i-try-to-use-them-to-my-advantage/) [Bianca Andreescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-andreescu/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [Baseball needs to put the steroids era behind it by having and enforcing tough rules against all kinds of artificial advantages, so that spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/baseball-needs-to-put-the-steroids-era-behind-it-by-having-and/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Daily contact with some teachers is itself all-sided ethical education for the child without a spoken precept. Here, too, the real advantage of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/daily-contact-with-some-teachers-is-itself-all-sided-ethical/) [G. Stanley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-stanley-hall/) > [ If \[Donald\] Trump throws 20 million off of health care, that's going to be - if he handles this badly - and it's very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/if-donald-trump-throws-20-million-off-of-health-care-that-s-going-to/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/live-in-the-world-you-inhabit-look-upon-things-as-they-are-take-them/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [I always tell women that the fact that you're different and that you're noticed, because there are few of us in the tech industry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/i-always-tell-women-that-the-fact-that-you-re-different-and-that-you/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) [Browse all 3,503 Advantage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is a seldom proffered argument as to the advantages of a free press that it has a major function in keeping the government itself informed as to what the government is doing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Walter Cronkite" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/it-is-a-seldom-proffered-argument-as-to-the-advantages-of-a-free/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advantage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/it-is-a-seldom-proffered-argument-as-to-the-advantages-of-a-free/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/walter-cronkite-1759_advantage_it-is-a-seldom-proffered-argument-as-to_770570.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/walter-cronkite-1759_advantage_it-is-a-seldom-proffered-argument-as-to_770570.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/walter-cronkite-1759_advantage_it-is-a-seldom-proffered-argument-as-to_770570.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is a seldom proffered argument as to the advantages of a free press that it has a major function in…” — Walter Cronkite", "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": "Walter Cronkite", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is a seldom proffered argument...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/it-is-a-seldom-proffered-argument-as-to-the-advantages-of-a-free/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/it-is-a-seldom-proffered-argument-as-to-the-advantages-of-a-free/#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 } } ] } ```