Walter Lippmann Quotes

American journalist and political commentator

Walter Lippmann (September 23, 1889 – December 14, 1974) was a United States writer, journalist, and political commentator. With a career spanning 60 years he was among the first to introduce the concept of Cold War, coining the term "stereotype" in the modern psychological meaning, as well as critiquing media and democracy in his newspaper column and several books, most notably his 1922 book Public Opinion. Lippmann had a role in Woodrow Wilson's post-World War I board of inquiry, as its research director. His views regarding the role of journalism in a democracy were contrasted with the contemporaneous writings of John Dewey in what has been retrospectively named the Lippmann-Dewey debate. Lippmann won two Pulitzer Prizes, one for his syndicated newspaper column "Today and Tomorrow" and one for his 1961 interview of Nikita Khrushchev.

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It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.

If the estimate of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs is correct, then Russia has lost the cold war in western Europe.

Democracy is a meaningless word unless it signifies that differences of opinion have been expressed, represented, and even satisfied in the decision.

There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and shame the devil.

You cannot endow even the best machine with initiative; the jolliest steam-roller will not plant flowers.

There can be no liberty for a community which lacks the information by which to detect lies.