Whoever Controls the Media, Controls the Mind

Jim Morrison? Andrew Doe? John Tobler? Francis E. Walter? Philip F. Pocock? E. S. James? Frank Lisciandro? Apocryphal

Dear Quote Investigator: The activities of rock-n-roll star Jim Morrison received extensive newspaper and television coverage in the 1960s. He was alternately praised and condemned in the mass media. Apparently, he once stated:

Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.

Would you please help me to find a citation?

Quote Investigator: Jim Morrison was the charismatic lead vocalist of the band “The Doors”. The music journalists Andrew Doe and John Tobler published a compilation of quotations from band members titled “In Their Own Words: The Doors” in 1988. The authors credited Morrison with the quotation under examination. The concise label “Jim” preceded the quotation. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:^[1]1988, In Their Own Words: The Doors, Compiled by Andrew Doe and John Tobler, Chapter: Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll & Politics & Films & Stuff, (Quotation attributed to Jim … Continue reading

Jim “Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.” (1969)

Morrison died in 1971. Doe and Tobler did not provide a precise citation to support the date of 1969. QI believes that the attribution is plausible, but QI has not yet located direct evidence in 1969.

Interestingly, Morrison was not the first to express this notion using the same keywords “control”, “media”, and “mind”. U.S. Congressman Francis E. Walter of Pennsylvania, Chair of the House Un-American Activities Committee used an instance during a speech in July 1956 as reported in “The Tablet: A Catholic Weekly” of Brooklyn, New York:^[2] 1956 July 21, The Tablet: A Catholic Weekly, Declare Cogley Report Falsifies, Quote Page 3, Column 3, Brooklyn, New York. (Newspapers_com)

“The Communists know that movie screens and television channels are weapons of far greater potential power than any of the nuclear devices whose secrets we guard so jealously.

“Control of the media of communication and information means the control of the mind, and for the Communists this would mean a victory of far greater importance than victory on a dozen battlefields of war.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

In January 1957 an editorial in “The Christian Science Monitor” of Boston, Massachusetts made a similar point:^[3] 1957 January 17, The Christian Science Monitor, Editorial: Youth and the Thought-Twisters, Quote Page 20, Column 1, Boston, Massachusetts. (ProQuest)

Thought control. The mass mind. Psychological warfare. Brainwashing.

These words all express the deep concern of our day with the idea that a regime in absolute control of mass media and educational facilities can mold men’s minds to specification.

In November 1957 “The Ottawa Journal” of Canada reprinted excerpts from a keynote conference address delivered by Roman Catholic Archbishop Philip F. Pocock of Winnipeg:^[4] 1957 November 18, The Ottawa Journal, Catholics Deliberate On Four Mass Media, Quote Page 2, Column 5, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Newspapers_com)

“The modern age of constant noise and visual excitation”, he said, “has succeeded in brainwashing the untrained minds of multitudes who are prepared to accept the course of events as their code of truth and morality.”

“. . . One may say that he who controls the media of mass communication, controls the minds of men.”

In December 1957 “Baptist and Reflector: Journal of Tennessee Baptist Convention” published an editorial containing an instance of the expression:^[5] 1957 December 5, Baptist and Reflector: Journal of Tennessee Baptist Convention, Editorial: A Frightening Power, Quote Page 5, Column 1, Nashville, Tennessee. (Newspapers_com)

Almost frightening is the power for good or evil that today lies in mass communication. …

Whoever controls the media of mass communication in effect, controls the minds of men. Heavy, therefore, is the responsibility upon actors, producers, scriptwriters, newscasters, commentators, and authors in what they brings before the public by means of the television set.

In May 1961 Dr. E. S. James, editor of the “Baptist Standard” of Texas, delivered an address at the Southern Baptist Convention held in St. Louis. His words were reprinted in the “Baptist and Reflector” in July 1961:^[6] 1961 July 20, Baptist and Reflector: Journal of Tennessee Baptist Convention, Church and State by E. S. James, Start Page 3, Quote Page 5, Column 1, Nashville, Tennessee. (Newspapers_com)

Those who control the media of communication will ultimately control the minds of the people.

In July 1967 “The Newark Advocate” of Ohio printed an advertisement for a local turkey farm which included the following message:^[7] 1967 July 7, The Newark Advocate, (Advertisement for Schroer Turkey Farm), Quote Page 13, Column 8, Newark, Ohio. (Newspapers_com)

Our Country is run by men who control our wealth; who control our news media and thus control our minds.

In 1968 “The Lawrenceburg Press” of Indiana published an editorial containing an instance of the expression:^[8] 1968 October 10, The Lawrenceburg Press, Editorial: Newspapers .. for you, Quote Page 2B, Column 1, Lawrenceburg, Indiana. (Newspapers_com)

You see, control of the press is also a control over the minds of the people. A country which controls the news media may control what information reaches the people, and what information does not reach the people.

In 1969 Jim Morrison employed the saying according to the 1988 compilation “In Their Own Words: The Doors” as mentioned previously in this article:^[9]1988, In Their Own Words: The Doors, Compiled by Andrew Doe and John Tobler, Chapter: Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll & Politics & Films & Stuff, (Quotation attributed to Jim … Continue reading

“Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.”

In 1991 “Break On Through: The Life and Death of Jim Morrison” by James Riordan and Jerry Prochnicky attributed the remark to Morrison:^[10]1991, Break On Through: The Life and Death of Jim Morrison by James Riordan and Jerry Prochnicky, Chapter 1: The Morrison Mystique, Quote Page 20, William Morrow and Company, New York. (Verified with … Continue reading

So it was with Morrison and the media that made him a modern-day god. He once said: “Whoever controls the media controls the mind. The media is the message and the message is me.” In the end, though, he let it get out of control not because the image overwhelmed him, but because he overwhelmed himself.

The second statement above attributed to Morrison was probably inspired by Marshall McLuhan’s famous saying “The medium is the message”. A separate QI article about that saying is available here.

In 1993 photojournalist and film maker Frank Lisciandro published “Jim Morrison: An Hour for Magic”. He attributed the following two statements to Morrison on adjacent pages:^[11] 1993 Copyright, Jim Morrison: An Hour for Magic: A Photojournal by Frank Lisciandro, Chapter: Media, Quote Page 144 and 145, Plexus Publishing Limited, London. (Verified with scans)

“The media is the message and the message is me.” (JDM)
“Whoever controls the media controls the mind.” (JDM)

In conclusion, there is substantive evidence that Jim Morrison used the expression under examination circa 1969 based on the 1988 compilation “In Their Own Words: The Doors”. However, several versions of the saying were already in circulation. Francis E. Walter used an instance with the same vocabulary “control”, “media”, and “mind” in 1956.

Image Notes: Illustration of social media icons from geralt at Pixabay. Image has been resized.

(Great thanks to Ian Thal whose inquiry led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration.)