Via Jay Rosen’s Pressthink, I learned today that the old journalism maxim of “afflicting the comfortable, comforting the afflicted” was actually sarcastic.
About 100 years old, the full quote is
“Th’ newspaper does ivrything f’r us. It runs th’ polis foorce an’ th’ banks, commands th’ milishy, controls th’ligislachure, baptizes th’ young, marries th’ foolish, comforts th’ afflicted, afflicts th’ comfortable, buries th’ dead an’ roasts thim aftherward.”
Satirist Finley Peter Dunne was arguing “that the power of newspapers was out of proportion, that they exerted influence where they had no legitimate business,” writes Poynter’s Dr. Ink. “They even had the arrogance to think they can afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.”
Like many people, I had thought the quote came from H.L. Mencken. Apparently, it was popularized by the movie “Inherit the Wind,” a fictional account of the Scopes “Monkey trial,” in which the Mencken character utters those words.
In any case, I agree that it’s not a particularly useful or relevant journalistic slogan. (Dr. Ink: “If journalists want to comfort the afflicted, they should send money to the Red Cross.”)
I don’t think anyone would question that some of the afflicted need comfort — but the press shouldn’t reflexively take anyone’s side, or promote any particular political ideology. Some conservatives would likely argue some of the comfortable deserve to be comfortable — while some of the afflicted need less comfort than tough love, or perhaps a swift kick in the ass.
I understand that a lot of people use the quote simply to indicate the press has a watchdog role to play, monitoring government institutions. Of course I agree with that. But if the slogan is often misunderstood, what good is it?
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