A BOSTON GLOBE EDITORIAL - For a free press

Boston Globe ^ | May 3, 2003 | staff

[Cincinatus' Wife]

T ODAY IS International Press Freedom Day, and newspapers all over the world are reprinting this charter. Its provisions were approved by journalists from 34 countries at a world conference on press censorship held in London in January 1987.

A free press means a free people. To this end, the following principles - basic to an unfettered flow of news and information both within and across national borders - deserve the support of all those pledged to advance and protect democratic institutions.

[Bernard]

Does the Boston Globe have an opinion on CNN's behaviour? I didn't see any specifics here.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I was wondering that myself. What do they have to say about self-censorship for access?
Or, is it really that? Maybe it's more like functionaries, in-house propagandists to the world, prostitutes for tyrants.

[the lone wolf]

The Boston Globe forgot to add--


11)The news media should not be biased in favor of any one political party or ideology.

12)The news media should always be open to criticism of its reportage and strive to correct errors whenever possible.


P.S. Fat chance

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Independent news media, both print and broadcast

First of all, broadcast media are government regulated and government licensed. If ever the FCC or anything like it regulates print the way the FCC regulates broadcast, know that the Republic is no more. "Independent broadcast news media" is an oxymoron.

"Both print and broadcast" notably excludes this medium, the Internet. The fundamental difference between print and the Internet is that whereas print evolved away from mere speech and became the prototype of broadcast, the cost of publishing on the Internet is very widely affordable. The Internet now is what print was when the First Amendment was framed and ratified--the most economical means of getting access to the widest expression of opinion.

IOW, the First Amendment should apply to the internet if it applies to any technology at all other than print "the press" and in-person verbal communication "speech". And government-created, government regulated broadcasting is--to the very considerable extent that it competes with print and Internet communication--extraconstitutional.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

1. Censorship, direct or indirect, is unacceptable; thus laws and practices restricting the right of the news media freely to gather and distribute information must be abolished, and government authorities, national or local, must not interfere with the content of print or broadcast news or restrict access to any news source.

If a government is sensitive to the slightest charge of censorship it will be criticized mercilessly for the slightest putative lapse.

However if actual courage is required to criticize a government, as in the case of CNN and Saddam Hussain, no criticism at all will be forthcoming. Precisely because the abuses of this "principle" are so egregious. So much for "must not."

[Diogenesis]

The Boston Plagiarist's Globe forgot a few, like:
Journalists should not LIE.

BOSTON GLOBE FABRICATES and DISTORTS as it ATTACKS AMERICA and OUR ALLIES

BOSTON GLOBE MINIMIZES SADDAM'S PRISONS [4/16/03]

BOSTON GLOBE FABRICATES FRONT-PAGE POLL [4/9/03]

BOSTON GLOBE FABRICATES FRONT-PAGE SLUR AGAINST US MILITARY [4/8/03]

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

4. States must not restrict access to newsprint, printing facilities and distribution systems, operation of news agencies, and availability of broadcast frequencies and facilities.

I want a broadcast frequency. Give it to me. Oh, I'm just Joe Schmo, not a journalist!? Who decided that Dan Rather was a journalist and I wasn't???

[SkyPilot]

13) Newspapers should apologize for having supported corrupt, lying, sexual predators who should be in jail (regardless of their "favorite son" status).

[Oldeconomybuyer]

6. Government media must enjoy editorial independence and be open to a diversity of viewpoints. This should be affirmed in both law and practice.

NPR is of course exempt from this requirement.

[the lone wolf]

Who decided that Dan Rather was a journalist and I wasn't???


Dan did. So did the DemocRATs. So sorry.

[E.G.C.]

This from a news organization which continues to present liberal and "progressive" points of view as representating neutrality while hiding behind what they know full well are bogus and false claims of objectivity.

These idiots need to look themselves in the mirror beofre they go to acting as though they are morally superior to the rest of us and giving us lectures on the virtues of what they do.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

A free press means a free people.

Guess the Minute Men were armed with news print at Lexington and Concord. The Irish Brigade carried The New York Times at Antietem. The Big Red One armed them selves with The International Herald Tribune.

Sorry, the best that a free press can do is inform. It's up to the citizen to maintain his freedom.

[Diogenesis]

NPR's idea of balance is two Arabs and two Clintonoids.

What a joke. But now Americans know what exactly who the media represents.
ANSWER: al Qaeda and terrorists.

[sergeantdave]

I, too, would like to see you on TV.

Broadcasting should be wide open subject to bids by one and all.

If I want to broadcast "The History of Kumquats" I should be allowed to bid for a frequency and time slot. And if I'm the high bidder for a specific frequency on April 21, 2004, between 9 and 10pm, my "History of Kumquats" will be aired.

That would be a free press. This current monopoly is not.

[Maceman]

And if I'm the high bidder for a specific frequency on April 21, 2004, between 9 and 10pm, my "History of Kumquats" will be aired.

I applaud your efforts. It's about time the truth was told about the history of kumquats. We've had the liberal perspective on this compelling story for too long.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Broadcasting should be wide open subject to bids by one and all.

Far better than the government-regulation of today, but it still is government regulation of communication. The irony is that with modern comm tech, web cams and such, we are on the cusp of conquest of the traditional bandwidth limitations. What remains then is government-provided preferential addresses such as "channel 4 on a cheap TV" vs "www.freerepublic.com on an Internet-connected PC."

[Criminal Number 18F]

Foreign journalists should... have access to both official and unofficial news sources

I don't believe I ever saw Globe reporters or editors criticise, for instance, Saddam Hussein's practice of assigning a "minder" and allowing the Globies to only speak with pre-selected (pro-Saddam) individuals.

In most reports, the Globe reporters did not mention that they were collaborating with Iraqi censorship.

One more liberal organ that talks the talk, and skips walking the walk...

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bumps!

[gorush]

This charter says so much about stopping restrictions from without. I wish it had a few clauses about truthfullness from within...