– anonymous [Multiple Atributions, See Source Note]
Quote Number: 304
Source: Multiple attributions
Source Notes: This quote has been attributed to multiple people and has many variations, and it is likely a version has been in common use for a long time, and therefore has not author. I would attribute this specific version to the street graffiti artist Bansky.
The earliest example of a similar quote appeared in Finley Peter Dunne’s 1902 book Observations by Mr. Dooley. It is often misquoted as “The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable;” however, this is a significant modification of the original quote which is: “Th’ newspaper does ivrything f’r us. It runs th’ polis foorce an’ th’ banks, commands th’ milishy, controls th’ ligislachure, baptizes th’ young, marries th’ foolish, comforts th’ afflicted, afflicts th’ comfortable, buries th’ dead an’ roasts thim aftherward.”
1000 Quotes Project 
Try Finley Peter Dunn 100 years earlier.
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Thank you for your comment, I have added information which clarifies this.
However Finley Peter Dunne’s closet quote: “Th’ newspaper does ivrything f’r us. It runs th’ polis foorce an’ th’ banks, commands th’ milishy, controls th’ ligislachure, baptizes th’ young, marries th’ foolish, comforts th’ afflicted, afflicts th’ comfortable, buries th’ dead an’ roasts thim aftherward.” – Observations by Mr. Dooley (1902), is significantly different in both the wording and tone than this one.
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