The Greatest Threat to America, "freedom of the Press"

Freedom of the press must go~!!!

No, freedom of the press must NOT go, but rather ACCOUNTABILITY of the press must be restored. As (liberal) historian Howard Zinn once noted, the ink was barely dry on the Constitution, the Supreme Court was already making decisions that, while the press may have had the RIGHT to publish certain things, it did not necessarily infer an immunity from prosecution after the fact.

Put a couple of our MSM guys away in Leavenworth, and the rest will get the message pretty quickly: report, but do it RESPONSIBLY.

No, freedom of the press must NOT go, but rather ACCOUNTABILITY of the press must be restored.

Exactly!  Freedom of the press is essential for a free America, but when it is used irresponsibly, that is not freedom of the Press.  That is just another form of indoctination, and as you point out, treasonous behaviour.  If they do not clean up their act, they run the risk of government regulation, and we would all hate that.  But more so than us hating it, would be the fact that they did it to themselves.

The press will be better off when it reports the news instead of creating it.

Freedom of the Press is one of the core freedoms we have. If we eliminate that, even in the name of national security, we open the door to eliminate any and all of our freedoms under the same excuse. If, in order to protect the nation, we must strip these basic freedoms away, is the nation worth protecting anymore?

Accountability is the key here. Secret stuff remains secret. If they obtained secret info, they had to do it illegally. That's where you get them. You also get them for endangering troops, agents, citizens whatever.

Also, there is no law against lieing. They can slant and misrepresent events all they want so long as they don't slander an individual or company, they're OK in terms of the law. Is it dishonest? Yes. Is it going to hurt their viewership? Yes. Is it illegal? No. Is it treason? No.

Words and speeches are not what pose a threat to the country. Words and speeches are the very backbone of this country, they're our greatest strength and best selling point. You can sit in this country and rail against the government until you're blue in the face. You can go on TV, radio, stand on a soapbox and just go nuts and the police won't come knocking down your door for "Crimes against the state" What is said may be offensive, it may be wrong, but everyone is free to speak and yell and stomp their feet.

Outlawing freedom of the press would have us acting a lot like those nasty islamic regimes, or much like Soviet Russia or China.

On a related note, I sometimes feel that the word "Traitor" is being misused and the definition weakened much like the way "nazi" or "hitler" are losing their real meaning through over/misuse.

Accountability is the key here. Secret stuff remains secret. If they obtained secret info, they had to do it illegally. That's where you get them. You also get them for endangering troops, agents, citizens whatever.

Excellent!  They sure wanted to fry Rove over the Plame affair.  I think it is time that some of them fry for other outed black operations.

I think there are limits with all freedoms. Nothing is absolute. Definately national security and our soldiers lives should never be compromised by reporters. The media has to find the balance. I would think that it would fall to the editors to draw the line.

Link

An interesting website to check out. It is a media critique.

Reply By: Gideon MacLeishPosted: Wednesday, December 14, 2005No, freedom of the press must NOT go, but rather ACCOUNTABILITY of the press must be restored. As (liberal) historian Howard Zinn once noted, the ink was barely dry on the Constitution, the Supreme Court was already making decisions that, while the press may have had the RIGHT to publish certain things, it did not necessarily infer an immunity from prosecution after the fact.Put a couple of our MSM guys away in Leavenworth, and the rest will get the message pretty quickly: report, but do it RESPONSIBLY.

until we start holding these idiots accountable for their crimes against america, I demand freedom of the press be halted!

Reply By: Dr. GuyPosted: Wednesday, December 14, 2005No, freedom of the press must NOT go, but rather ACCOUNTABILITY of the press must be restored. Exactly! Freedom of the press is essential for a free America, but when it is used irresponsibly, that is not freedom of the Press. That is just another form of indoctination, and as you point out, treasonous behaviour. If they do not clean up their act, they run the risk of government regulation, and we would all hate that. But more so than us hating it, would be the fact that they did it to themselves.

exactly!! what we now call freedom of the press" is not about a free press but about bringing an agenda of hate all things america!

Reply By: Island DogPosted: Wednesday, December 14, 2005The press will be better off when it reports the news instead of creating it.

fuck the press dog, the PEOPLE will be better off with real information not some slanted made up news.

Reply By: ZoombaPosted: Wednesday, December 14, 2005

On a related note, I sometimes feel that the word "Traitor" is being misused and the definition weakened much like the way "nazi" or "hitler" are losing their real meaning through over/misuse.

anytime the information used is to help bring down the Presidency of america I think they are traitors to america~!!!

Reply By: Dr. GuyPosted: Wednesday, December 14, 2005Accountability is the key here. Secret stuff remains secret. If they obtained secret info, they had to do it illegally. That's where you get them. You also get them for endangering troops, agents, citizens whatever. Excellent! They sure wanted to fry Rove over the Plame affair. I think it is time that some of them fry for other outed black operations.

funny how the FACT that bob novak outted plame and not one word of comdemnation about that. Why? because he is one of "them" "reporters

Reply By: LocamamaPosted: Wednesday, December 14, 2005I think there are limits with all freedoms. Nothing is absolute. Definately national security and our soldiers lives should never be compromised by reporters. The media has to find the balance. I would think that it would fall to the editors to draw the line.

unless some laws are enacted to stop them nothing will be done.!!!!!

funny how the FACT that bob novak outted plame and not one word of comdemnation about that. Why? because he is one of "them" "reporters

And like the 'secret' prisons.  They are not against American law (and no proof they even existed yet), but they blurted that like the Koran Flushing!  Way to go benedict arnold!

#15 by Dr. Guy Wednesday, December 14, 2005

And like the 'secret' prisons. They are not against American law (and no proof they even existed yet), but they blurted that like the Koran Flushing! Way to go Benedict Arnold!

pretend news is the specialty of the day, no matter it's lie filled as long as it sells ad space and commercial time.

#8 by Locamama Wednesday, December 14, 2005

An interesting website to check out. It is a media critique.

thanx loca, have read it and agree.

This "freedom of the press" and its little brother "the people have a right to know" must be stopped.

Um, no.

I demand freedom of the press be halted!

"I demand irresponsible bloggers be halted!"

the PEOPLE will be better off with real information not some slanted made up news.

Who's going to give it to them if you eliminate "the press"? You do realize "the press" refers to the actual printing press, with the right extended to derivative or like technologies such as, I don't know blogging, don't you? If you want to cut off your own nose because you don't like the other guy's face, I guess that's your business (don't be surprised if some guys in white coats come to take you for "evaluation," though), just leave my nose out of it.

anytime the information used is to help bring down the Presidency of america I think they are traitors to america~!!!

Like Watergate?

"Anytime the blogging technology is used to attack the constitution and our constitutional rights, I think they are traitors to america!!!"

Funny that you hold the presidency in higher regard than the rights that keep us free. I hope you realize that if the 1st amendment goes, so does freedom of religion. Considering how Jews have fared in non-free civilizations, I'd think that would concern you. Maybe not.

unless some laws are enacted to stop them nothing will be done.!!!!!

"Unless someone does something, no-one will do anything!" Circular logic aside, I agree, let's start rounding up all those traitorous bloggers right now. This "new media" is undermining our freedom and has to be stopped.

Um, no.

funny how the FACT that bob novak outted plame and not one word of comdemnation about that. Why? because he is one of "them" "reporters

That's as bigoted as you can get.

I condemned Novak, and so have others. I said he should have been fired and charged with something. I've even said so here on JU before.


I put up with a lot of this unfounded hatred around here, usually letting it slide unless it's on my own blog, but sometimes you gotta take a stand. Anyone that tries to take my 1st Amendment rights is libel to find me exercising my 2nd Amendment rights.

Replace "press" with "Jew" and see how you like it. Same Amendment.

Count me in with the "accountability" crowd.

The people in most professions want to maintain a level of respect from their peers and outsiders. I know as an Army parachute rigger, most of what we did was to maintain a high level of trust with the troops who jumped with our parachutes and whose equipment we rigged for airdrop. A lot of what we did really didn't make that much difference in the level of safety, but the fact we did them let the jumpers know that we do not cut corners, we hold each other in check, and we never forget that every chute we pack will be used by a person... possibly even ourselves.

In EMS we constantly find ways to test and evaluate the skills we've learned. No EMT or Paramedic is above quality control reviews, refresher courses, or mock incident drills.

The press has severely failed in maintaining any level of professionalism or credibility. When lies are exposed or statements are proven false, instead of calling the person responsible to task, they seem to circle the wagons in the liars defense... making liars of them all.

I'd love, just once, to hear the reporters from one news agency challenging another's report!! It would restore my faith in the press in general. I'm not holding my breath though.

But then again, we are becoming a culture that doesn't expect any level of professionalism from ourselves anymore, so maybe the incompetence in the press is merely a reflection of the general incompetence we have come to expect.

until we start holding these idiots accountable for their crimes against america, I demand freedom of the press be halted!

I'm right with you, moderate....until we start holding gun owners accountable for gun crimes, I demand the right to keep and bear arms be halted!

Until we start holding religious extremists responsible for their actions, I demand freedom of religion be halted!

(it's called a "slippery slope", mod...while I'm not unsympathetic to your POV, we need to act with reason).

Gene brings up Watergate. I offer up Kenneth Star and his crusade against all things Clinton. It's either all alright or all treason, there's no degrees of it depending on whether or not YOU agree with the politics of the individuals involved.

By the way you argue, it's our national duty to appear before the Committee on Unamerican Activities and name out any and all communist sympathizers. Failure to do so, or worse vocal disagreement with the process is treasonous. You can't defy or disagree with the great U S of A without being a traitor! Edward R. Murrow brought helped bring down the height of the Red Scare by exposing McCarthy for a paranoid fool. No, it's not the President, but it was still a serious blow to the image of the US, which is just as bad really... isn't it? Isn't it?

You can't punish the many for the crimes of the few. There will always be the irresponsible out there, but you can't clamp down on everyone because of a few morons. Sure, the morons are in the forefront right now, but you can't revoke and grant such fundamental freedoms like a yo-yo. Who becomes the arbiter of who deserves the rights and who doesn't? You?

It sounds very 1984ish if you ask me. All must be opposed if it threatens the Mother Country in any way (real or imagined).

anytime the information used is to help bring down the Presidency of america I think they are traitors to america~!!!

This "freedom of the press" and its little brother "the people have a right to know" must be stopped.

Definately national security and our soldiers lives should never be compromised by reporters. The media has to find the balance. I would think that it would fall to the editors to draw the line.

what we now call freedom of the press" is not about a free press but about bringing an agenda of hate all things america!

From what I've read on these replies, it seems like some of you think the role of the media is to root for the home team, make us look good and them look bad. It isn't. The role of the media should be to inform us. Of course, they suck at that too because, as you said,

pretend news is the specialty of the day, no matter it's lie filled as long as it sells ad space and commercial time.

That's why they milk celebrity trials for all they are worth. Simply put, no one wants to see people working in sweatshops in Malaysia or starving to death in Africa when you can see the latest celebrity gossip and the water skiing squirrel. That's why I'm not a big fan of corporate owned media; it's meant to sell, not inform (and occasionally push the agenda of the ruling class, but I digress). I'll stick to my publicly funded, publicly owned CBC. I find there's less celebrity gossip and they actually are half decent at doing their job (like during the famine in Ethiopia).

18 by Gene Nash Wednesday, December 14, 2005

This "freedom of the press" and its little brother "the people have a right to know" must be stopped. Um, no.

um yes. in the form it is today!!

demand freedom of the press be halted! "I demand irresponsible bloggers be halted!"

I do not reach millions gene, the so called news does.

funny how the FACT that bob novak outted plame and not one word of comdemnation about that. Why? because he is one of "them" "reporters That's as bigoted as you can get.

so you are saying when I print the truth somehow it's a bigotted statement? ha!

funny how the FACT that bob novak outted plame and not one word of comdemnation about that. Why? because he is one of "them" "reporters That's as bigoted as you can get.

please!!!! exactly why has he not been raked over the coals then?

#19 by ParaTed2k Thursday, December 15, 2005

Count me in with the "accountability" crowd.

this is my point exactly ted, Freedom of the press in todays form is hardly fact filled and someone needs to be held accountable!!

It sounds very 1984ish if you ask me. All must be opposed if it threatens the Mother Country in any way (real or imagined).

nope, as long as TRUTH , not slanted, not lies, not conspiracy theories, not some fantasy, but the raw truth that does not put America at peril I am all for REAL FREEDOM of the press.