She sat up very straight in my lap and sing-songed like a schoolgirl: "Where the objective of Cybernetic Democracy is justice impartially rendered, the objective of cybernetic journalism and of the World Press Association is truth impartially told. 'For you will be told the truth, and the truth will keep you secure.' Foof." "Well, it's--it's true, dammit," I said. "You aren't, you of all people aren't, going to tell me that news isn't just as important as government! "Without that Fotofax printer in every home and public cubeo set, how are people going to know what's going on, and what laws have been passed? And how well those laws are obeyed? Why, without the _Sun_ we wouldn't have an informed public. We wouldn't have democracy at all!" * * * * * "You," she said crisply, "are confusing news with the _Sun_. News is a description of events, presented with human intelligence in a manner to interest and stimulate other human intelligence. The _Sun_ is whatever that monstrous washing-machine decides is proper to have happened, presented in a manner to interest no one except other washing-machines." "Very glib," I replied. "But at least you will admit that news is important. Then doesn't it seem sensible to give it the same protection that government has? Protection from error and stupidity and corruption?" "Protection?" she wailed. "It's so protected nobody sees it--nobody sees it--nobody cares! "That hairy old item you read off the wall. You're right, I wouldn't use it today any more than the _Sun_ would. But suppose Little Irma there had been killed by the runaway. We'd both print it.... I'd tell the story, a story that might make just one more parent careful that day and save one more child. The _Sun_ would put it in a list, something like: DEATHS, Accidental MILBRY--Littlefield Irma: 4 dau/ M&M Adoniram L-, 324 Elm, struck by wagon Elm at S. Main. "... and that would be that for a little blonde-haired, blue-eyed, four-year-old statistic! Why, suppose...." "Supposition!" I interrupted. "You can't waste time with supposition! People are entitled to facts. They get facts in the _Sun_. They know that every item in that sheet is written, checked and checked again by the special media circuits of Congris we call WPA. Those same cybernetic banks that make the laws, trace the lawbreakers, do the thousands of things that make our civilization possible, they filter, sift and sort the news as it comes in from the Scoops. "A Fireman reports on a fire, a Policeman reports on a crime, a Doctor a death or a citizen any important event. Every bit goes to the Greeley and if it's important enough, comes out in the next regional, national or world _Sun_. All the Fireman or citizen or whatever has to do, is press his ID tag to the sensor, for identity, veracity and authority audit, and have a Second there for corroboration.