[Mr. Jeeves]

The founders knew what problems big mouthed media traitors could cause during wartime and, in response, passed the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 which made it illegal for any person to "print, utter, or publish ... any false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government.

Putin is trying this tactic today. ;)

We don't need the Alien and Sedition Acts to come back - what we do need is honest media criticism by other media outlets. Since the MSM has refused to police itself, the blogsphere is taking up the slack. Within a few years, no one will ever trust an MSM story without logging on to find out what really happened...and when faced with irrelevance, the MSM will finally start (too late) to reform itslef.

[xJones]

We don't need the Alien and Sedition Acts to come back - what we do need is honest media criticism by other media outlets. Since the MSM has refused to police itself, the blogsphere is taking up the slack.

You're right, Jeeves. The MSM didn't have an effective checking system for decades. What Cronkite and others said was "the way it was", and there were no outlets for effective rebuttal. There was no Fox News, talk radio, and that most irritating internet!:)

One of the happiest things these days is how much so many of the MSM hate & despise those 'iggorant' pajama people that keep holding their feet to the fire. It's not supposed to be that way!:)

[Jeffery T.]

Mr. Jeeves, I beg to differ. The Sedition Act would only be applied in times of war, so that America and American troops are not harmed by media stories which compromise battle strategy or tactics or that can do general harm to American forces. During times of peace, the Sedition Act would not be enforced. Putin muzzles his media whether in peace time or in war time. There is a difference. Also the MSM will never police themselves because their bloated heads have them thinking that they are beyond reproach. Their figurative death is near if they do not change their tactics or approach to reporting the news.