Some Sayings of Yogananda

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Spiritualizing the Newspapers

Spiritualizing the Newspapers

By Swami Yogananda

Newspapers have more or less become the tin gods worshipped by the mass mind. They can make or unmake a man, at least in the public eye . . . Newspapers ought not to introduce poisonous news into the tank of human minds, for the thirsty, undiscriminative masses drink poisonous, unwholesome news wherever they find it and hence suffer with nervousness, worry, fear, and subconscious criminal suggestions.

Criminal Suggestions

If people want to eat cocaine, opium, cobra poison, or to indulge in a flattering religion which is afraid to even constructively criticize, or to hear only those lectures which gloss over and explain away their faults, should the business men, religious leaders and lecturers reason, let us give the people what they want, let us sell them poison, flattery and untruth, let us thus kill their souls and choke their mentalities of progress, it doesn't matter since we are getting rich? . . . [He does not like that. - TK]
Is not sensationalism responsible for taking a large part in suggesting crime to children and to weak mentalities?

Murdering Reputations

Some newspapers . . . don't stop at anything. They libel a man, writing half-truths or evading the true facts about him . . . They give head-lines to scandalize him, and syndicate their news, for most papers take it and swallow it wholesale.
Many people will remember the case in London a few years ago of "Mr. A.," Hari Singh of Kashmir, who was blackmailed by a woman and her accomplices. Under threat of blackmail and of newspaper headlines of scandal, the woman and her accomplices extracted seven hundred thousand dollars form the Prince.

No Public Man Is Safe

Some syndicating news agencies at times make wholesale productions of lies and baseless scandals . . . Some newspapers . . . rejoice when they turn those furious burning lights on some innocent person. Most papers gloat at the prospect of scandalizing someone.

The Remedy

Let the leading business men, ministers, and worthy public men of each city come together to form a board for educating the newspapers. . . . The newspapers must be taught by the board . . .

A Friend's Suggestion

Half truths and distorted truths are worst [sic] than the blackest of lies. . . . Sensationalism creates the desire to rejoice in others' shortcomings. Christian newspapers that have sinned and indulged in sensationalism should repent.

All from Swami Yogananda. "Spiritualizing the Newspapers". East West, March-April, 1928 Vol. 3-3.

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