A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favour. It must enjoy the protection of the constitution, so that it can protect our rights as citizens.

Freedom of conscience, of education, of speech, of assembly are among the very fundamentals of democracy and all of them would be nullified should freedom of the press ever be successfully challenged.

This being a free country with freedom of expression - especially with freedom of the press - there will be a lot of mean blows struck between now and Election Day.

There are laws to protect the freedom of the press's speech, but none that are worth anything to protect the people from the press.

A free Press is the unsleeping guardian of every other right that freemen prize; it is the most dangerous foe of tyranny.

You have heard for six years that I was about to plunge the Nation into war; that you and your little brothers would be sent to the bloody fields of battle in Europe; that I was driving the Nation into bankruptcy; and that I breakfasted every morning on a dish of 'grilled millionaire'.