On a Sunday morning with thoughts of the role of the media and the power of the press fresh on my mind, I thought it appropriate to note this passage from one of Modern China’s early influential journalists, Liang Qichao. Here Liang is writing in the inaugural issue of his newspaper The Eastern Times (时报), first published in 1904:
Using fair and honest discussions, we will analyze the positive and negative, advantageous and disadvantageous aspects of these problems. We will also investigate methods for delivering the nation from danger and coping with the current situation, while cooperating with the government and conferring with the citizens.
It is the duty of newspapers in advanced/civilized nations (文明国) to report on the facts in the news, to follow the trend of international public opinion, to investigate the trend of international public opinion, to investigate conditions in the interior of the nation, to develop knowledge of politics and the arts, to introduce new ideas, and to provide materials for leisurely reading. We must drive ourselves on. We will use our writings to define and convey the will of the nation. We must also, however, take note of the saying of Western philosophers that ‘perfect