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Message on the Observance of National Newspaper Week, October 10-16, 1982

October 06, 1982

A free press is a cornerstone of our democracy. In the First Amendment to the Constitution, our Founding Fathers affirmed their belief that competing ideas are fundamental to freedom. We Americans cherish our freedom of expression and our access to multiple sources of news and information.

But, as we know, there are other nations where the free flow of news is thwarted by governments fearful of letting people know the truth. In those countries, where censorship is a means of containing thought and action, newspapers are controlled by the government, and it follows that all human freedoms are limited.

The theme of this 1982 observance of National Newspaper Week, "A Free Press-Your Key to Freedom," reflects a basic tenet of American life. A free press is, indeed, our key to freedom.

During National Newspaper Week, I join with my fellow Americans in celebrating our free press and in paying tribute to the responsible men and women of the newspaper industry whose dedication and commitment to independent and truthful news reporting and analysis are the foundation of our continued progress as a nation.

RONALD REAGAN

Ronald Reagan, Message on the Observance of National Newspaper Week, October 10-16, 1982 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/246153

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