"There are some things the general public does not need to know and shouldn't. I believe democracy flourishes when the government can take legitimate steps to keep its secrets, and when the press can decide whether to print what it knows"

Katherine Graham's quote recommends that there is a balance between the government's right to keep secrets and journalism's right to print what it knows. She believes that the government needs to be able to keep certain details from the public, as long as it is genuine. At the same time, she believes that the press ought to have the flexibility to choose whether to print what it knows. This balance between the federal government and the press is important for democracy to grow. By permitting the federal government to keep some tricks and the press to choose what to print, the general public can be notified without being overwhelmed with unnecessary information.