Posted on 12/06/2009 10:03:03 AM PST by John Semmens
Concerned that casual and irregular so-called journalists are confusing the American people. Senators Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) have introduced legislation that attempts to draw the line between legitimate and illegitimate purveyors of news.
The legislation, Senate Bill 448, would define a legitimate journalist as a person working as a salaried employee of, or independent contractor for, a recognized publisher or broadcaster of news. Those falling outside this definition would be denied the privileges granted to established news media under freedom of the press.
The American people need to be protected from being misled by unauthorized sources, Feinstein declared. It is so easy and cheap these days for just about anyone to publish whatever pops into his head on the Internet. To help sort things out, we need to establish a distinction between legitimate newspersons and unvetted amateurs. This bill does that.
As an example of the unvetted amateurs she has in mind, the Senator cited the undercover operation conducted by James OKeefe and Hannah Giles. Here we have two untrained individuals taking it upon themselves to do a so-called expose´ of an important American institution, she said. We cant allow these kind of individuals to enjoy the same privileges and immunities we would accord to reporters for the New York Times or CBS News. That is a road toward the anarchy of uncontrolled content.
OKeefe and Giles posed as pimp and prostitute, respectively, and visited the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) offices seeking advice on how to set up a brothel employing under-age, illegal immigrants. Video recordings of the helpful suggestions offered by numerous ACORN personnel in several different offices in several different states created a scandal last September.
(Excerpt) Read more at azconserv1.wordpress.com ...
You’re a brave man - standing up to the bullies has worked all these years - so, we’re with you - “eff ‘em”.
The bill is real.
The quotes justifying it are made up based on the ideology of the Democrats sponsoring the legislation. That is, this is what I believe they are thinking when they proposed the bill’s language.
I’m not trying to reel anyone in. I’m mocking the left.
The bill is real. I’m merely writing down the unspoken thinking behind it.
Don’t relax too much. The essence of the story is real.
That’s what we need. Independent journalists, officially sanctioned by the government.
Yeah. It's called FREE SPEECH!!!
"(5) JOURNALISM- The term `journalism' means the regular gathering, preparing, collecting, photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting, or publishing of news or information that concerns local, national, or international events or other matters of public interest for dissemination to the public.Two implications: (1) "Regular" in a legal sense means
Customary; usual; with no unexpected or unusual variations; in conformity with ordinary practice.Plus the use of the term "employer" would give a judge cover to conclude that only those engaged in it as a full-time paid employment would be covered as "journalists".An individual's regular course of business, for example, is the occupation in which that person is normally engaged to gain a livelihood.
The American people need to be protected from being misled by unauthorized sources, Feinstein declared
Key here is UNAUTHORIZED SOURCES, meaning government is your authorized source and no other! A purge is in need and soon!
Satire or not, I still say...
Im so tired of these dictators telling us who can fart and who cant.
SONSABEOTCHES!
You are probably correct on their thoughts.
Now I have to find an article that isn’t satire to quote on this. Nowadays, I don’t trust the MSM. I have seen their biased spin on important topics too many times.
I prefer to get my news from the Internet and places like Free Republic. (I think this is why the MSM is going to be next tor receive bailouts.) They made themselves irrelevant let the Free Market take care of the problem.
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