THANK YOU ALAN. HMMM, A FREEDOM OF SPEECH AWARD FOR AILES. THIS IS A DANGEROUS MOMENT. ALAN AND I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR A LONG TIME. WE MET WHEN I WAS A CONSULTANT FOR HIM IN DETROIT. MY MOTHER ALWAYS THOUGHT A CONSULTANT WAS A PERSON WHO COULDN’T HOLD A JOB. THE DEFINITION IS DIFFICULT. BUT THERE IS A WAY TO DESCRIBE IT. THERE WERE THESE TWO OLD MAIDS AND THEY HAD A BIG BLACK TOM-CAT NAMED SYLVESTER. SYLVESTER WAS DRIVING THEM CRAZY.

(SYLVESTER STORY)

MANY WHO KNOW ME KNOW I’M A BIG FAN OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH. OTHERS THINK THAT I SHOULD BE THE ONE EXCEPTION. I WAS TOLD I WAS HERE TO GET THE PROTECTING YOUR CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE AT ANY COST EVEN IF THEY DON’T WANT TO BE PROTECTED JUDITH MILLER AWARD. I DID GET A CONGRATULATORY TELEGRAM FROM CBS NEWS TODAY. MY STAFF IS REVIEWING IT -- THEY THINK IT’S A FAKE.

I’D LIKE TO THANK THE MEDIA INSTITUTE FOR THIS WONDERFUL AWARD. I BELIEVE IN APPROPRIATE WORDS, TIMELINESS AND MANNERS. BUT IN THE END I’VE DEFENDED HOWARD STERN. BUT I DIDN’T STOP THERE. I’VE GONE SO FAR AS TO DEFEND EMPLOYEES FOR SAYING WILD THINGS LIKE GOD BLESS AMERICA - THE DOUBLE WHAMMY OF POLITICAL INCORRECTNESS -- APPARENTLY MY DEFENSE OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH KNOWS NO BOUNDS. AND IT’S ONLY ONE OF THE FREEDOMS I DEFEND.

BY MY COUNT, THE BILL OF RIGHTS ENUMERATES OVER 20 FREEDOMS. ALL IMPORTANT. OUR FOUNDERS UNDERSTOOD THAT A BROAD RANGE OF GUARANTEED RIGHTS WERE ESSENTIAL TO LIBERTY.

(BILL OF RIGHTS AMENDMENT 1)

THE BILL OF RIGHTS STARTS WITH THE FIRST PROTECTION OF FREEDOM -- RELIGION. NOW, MAYBE THEY THOUGHT IT WAS THE LEAST IMPORTANT SO THEY DID IT TO GET IT OUT OF THE WAY. MAYBE THEY THOUGHT IT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT SO THEY PUT IT FIRST. OR MAYBE THEY COULDN’T ALPHABETIZE IN THOSE DAYS. I LOOKED AT THE 1ST AMENDMENT AND IT SAYS CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW RESPECTING AN ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THERE OF. THAT’S ALL IT SAYS.

SO THE STATE CAN’T ESTABLISH A RELIGION -- GOOD. OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF. NO MENTION WHERE. BACK OF YOUR CAR, A STREET CORNER, A DAIRY QUEEN, A SYNOGOGUE, A SCHOOL -- NO MENTION WHERE. IT JUST SAYS...CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION. SO THEY CAN’T MAKE YOU HAVE A RELIGION AND THEY CAN’T STOP YOU FROM PRACTICING IT ANYWHERE.

NAAAH...IT MUST MEAN SOMETHING THAT’S NOT IN THERE THAT ONLY A JUDGE COULD FIND. CAN YOU IMAGINE THE FRAMERS OF THE CONSTITUTION SITTING AROUND ONE NIGHT SAYING, "LOOK, THAT RELIGION STUFF IS PRETTY BROAD LANGUAGE...SHOULDN’T WE LIMIT IT?" JEFFERSON SAYS, "SOMEDAY SOMEBODY WILL INVENT FOOTBALL, THEN THEY’LL BE PRAYING IN THE END ZONE AFTER A TOUCHDOWN." JOHN ADAMS SAYS, "WHAT’S A TOUCHDOWN?" THEN ANOTHER GUY SAYS, "WHAT IF THEY INVENT AIRPORTS? PEOPLE START PRAYING BEFORE THEY GET ON A PLANE." SO JEFFERSON SAYS, "LET’S JUST LEAVE IT REALLY BROAD AND LET PEOPLE PRAY WHEREVER THEY WANT TO." ADAMS SAYS, "BUT THEY’LL EXPECT MORE OUT OF US! WE’RE THE FOUNDING FATHERS. THEY’LL EXPECT MORE INTELLECTUAL LANGUAGE."

"KNOCK IT OFF ADAMS YOU’RE TOO FULL OF YOURSELF!"

NEXT THE BILL OF RIGHTS TALKS ABOUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND THE FRAMERS ARGUE...FREEDOM OF SPEECH!! PEOPLE ARE LIABLE TO SAY ANYTHING! THAT’S THE POINT, ISN’T IT? THEY SHOULD SAY ANYTHING. WHAT IF THEY TELL ME I’M FAT? PUNCH ‘EM. THAT VIOLATES ANOTHER RIGHT! NOT IF NOBODY’S LOOKING.

OK. TOTAL FREEDOM OF SPEECH. LEAVE IT IN. LEAVE IT BROAD. I’M HUNGRY.

WHAT ABOUT THE PRESS? ADAM SAYS, "THEY’VE NEVER SAID A GOOD WORD ABOUT ME." JEFFERSON SAYS, "THEY’RE DOWNSTAIRS SAYING THEY ARE ON DEADLINE AND THEY’RE GONNA SAY TOMORROW WE ARE INCOMPETENT AND WHY WE CAN’T GET THIS DONE SOONER." FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND DEMOCRACY ARE SYMBIOTIC. ADAMS SAYS, "GEEZ DON’T PUT THAT WORD IN -- I’LL GET BLAMED."

OK. TOTAL FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. LEAVE IT IN, LET’S GO EAT.

WHO’S DOING THE PRESS RELEASE? DON’T LET JEFFERSON DO IT -- HE’LL LEAVE ADAMS OUT. SIMPLE, DIRECT, TO THE POINT. (NOW I THINK THERE’S A VIDEO TAPE OF THIS ACTUAL CONVERSATION SOMEWHERE). BUT IT’S PRETTY CLEAR THE BROADEST POSSIBLE FREEDOMS EXIST. AND THAT LAST ONE, FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, IS A KEY.

PREEDOM OF THE PRESS IS THE LIFE BLOOD OF JOURNALISM. JOURNALISM HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CONTROVERSIAL PROFESSION. *(19TH CENTURY ETIQUETTE BOOK); *(GRANT WANTED REPORTERS LOCKED UP AS SPIES). CRITICS SAY MOST INUURY TO JOURNALISTS OCCUR BY THEM FALLING OFF THEIR EGOS ONTO THEIR IQ’S. THIS IS UNFAIR AND NOT TRUE! MOST JOURNALISTS ARE FINE PEOPLE. HUNDREDS ARE LOCKED UP OR KILLED EVERY YEAR FOR TRYING TO DO THEIR JOBS. THEY ARE SMART, BRAVE, COMPETITIVE, AND BELIEVE ME, THERE ARE EASIER WAYS TO MAKE A LIVING.

I STARTED FOX NEWS FOR A BRILLIANT VISIONARY NAMED RUPERT MURDOCH IN 1996. I HAVE THE EASY JOB. I HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE AROUND ME TO BLAME IF THINGS DON’T GO WELL.

I WROTE THIS MISSION STATEMENT 9 YEARS AGO -- FOX NEWS CHANNEL IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING VIEWERS WITH MORE FACTUAL INFORMATION IN A BALANCED, FAIR PRESENTATION. FOX BELIEVES VIEWERS SHOULD MAKE THEIR OWN JUDGEMENTS ON IMPORTANT ISSUES BASED ON UNBIASED COVERAGE. OUR MOTTO IS: ‘WE REPORT, YOU DECIDE’. OUR JOB IS TO GIVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE INFORMATION THEY CAN USE TO LIVE THEIR LIVES MORE EFFECTIVELY. AND OUR JOB IS TO TELL THEM THE TRUTH. WHEREVER THAT TRUTH FALLS. AS THE CHANNEL HAS BECOME MORE SUCCESSFUL I HAVE BEEN INCREASINGLY CRITICIZED - SOMETIMES FOR BEING TOO PRO-AMERICA, TOO PRO-ISRAEL, EVEN TOO PRO-DEMOCRACY. MY RESPONSE HAS BEEN: THIS IS A GREAT COUNTRY BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS TRYING TO GET IN AND NOBODY IS TRYING TO GET OUT.

SOMETIMES I HAVE TO REMIND MY COLLEAGUES IN JOURNALISM THAT WHILE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IS A CENTRAL PILLAR OF DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM OF THE PRESS DID NOT INVENT DEMOCRACY. IT IS DEMOCRACY THAT IS THE STRUCTURE, THE SUPPORT, THE CRADLE FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.

WE WILL INVESTIGATE ANYTHING AND, FINDING TRUTH, REPORT IT -- CORPORATE, GOVERNMENT, REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, OR U.N. -- BUT AT FOX NEWS CHANNEL WE DO NOT GET UP EVERY MORNING ASSUMING OUR COUNTRY IS GUILTY. WE INSIST INNOCENT TIL PROVEN GUILTY. GIVE THAT RIGHT TO OUR COUNTRY.

AMERICA HAS PLENTY OF PROBLEMS. RACISM, ANTI-SEMITISM, CLASS WARFARE, POVERTY AND OTHERS. THEY ALL EXIST, OF COURSE. BUT THIS COUNTRY HAS DONE MORE TO CONFRONT AND INVEST IN SOLVING THESE CANCERS THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY ON EARTH. BECAUSE OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, THESE ARE NOT HIDDEN PROBLEMS.

HERE WE ARE TONIGHT. HAVING A GREAT DINNER, HOTEL, FOOD, FRIENDS, FREEDOM. BUT AS WE ENJOY THIS EVENING MANY BELIEVE WE ARE ALL IN A FIGHT FOR CIVILIZATION ITSELF. BUT IN THAT FIGHT WE HAVE RULES. OUR OPPONENTS DO NOT. WE ACCORD RIGHTS TO THEM. THEY GIVE NONE TO US. IS ONE HAND TIED BEHIND OUR BACK? OR IS THIS THE VERY STRUCTURE OF WHY WE ARE A GREAT NATION? A NATION THAT HAS FED MORE AND FREED MORE PEOPLE THAN ALL THE OTHER NATIONS ON EARTH. WHY DO WE TRY TO FREE OTHERS WHEN WE ARE ALREADY FREE?

WHY DO WE IMPOSE RULES ON OURSELVES WHEN TERRORISTS DON’T CARE? WHY DOES OUR CONSTITUTION REIGN SUPREME FOR CITIZENS AND NON-CITIZENS? WHY ARE WE CONSTANTLY CRITICS OF OURSELVES TRYING TO DO BETTER WHEN OTHER COUNTRIES CRITICIZE US SO VOCALLY? WHY DO WE BELIEVE WE CAN ULTIMATELY WIN WITHOUT GIVING UP OUR LAWS OR OUR VALUES?

BECAUSE WE ARE AMERICANS.