A free and truly independent press - fiercely independent when necessary - is the red beating heart of freedom and democracy.

Rather’s line frames press freedom not as a decorative civic ideal but as democracy’s vital organ: without an independent press, self-government cannot “circulate” truthful information or hold power to account. The emphasis on being “fiercely independent when necessary” underscores that journalism’s watchdog role is situational and often adversarial—especially during war, scandal, or concentrated political and corporate power. By calling the press the “red beating heart,” he also suggests vulnerability: attacks on journalistic independence (censorship, intimidation, capture by partisanship or ownership interests) are not peripheral disputes but direct threats to democratic life itself.