Freest Press in the World?

[Cheeseburger_in_paradise]

A Facebook friend who is my former professor, and once chair or the journalism department from where I have my degree have a difference of opinion on this one. I don't think the US press is free at all. As a part-time reporter, covering two city councils, I can tell you for sure that there are some stories I am encouraged to ignore.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-freest-press-1433513.html

http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/1B21BCC6-EDBC-4214-A23D-A0DF41C66037/

http://www.newstatesman.com/200102190008

[GG]

A Facebook friend who is my former professor, and once chair or the journalism department from where I have my degree have a difference of opinion on this one. I don't think the US press is free at all. As a part-time reporter, covering two city councils, I can tell you for sure that there are some stories I am encouraged to ignore.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-freest-press-1433513.html

http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/1B21BCC6-EDBC-4214-A23D-A0DF41C66037/

http://www.newstatesman.com/200102190008

 

Just for kicks, are you being pressured to ignore the stories by your editors, or by the city councils or the threat that you'll get your head bashed in if you cover the story?

[Cheeseburger_in_paradise]

Just for kicks, are you being pressured to ignore the stories by your editors, or by the city councils or the threat that you'll get your head bashed in if you cover the story?

 

It's a small paper trying to survive, by keeping advertisers and politicians friendly. No threat of violence.

[Chef Jim]

It's a small paper trying to survive, by keeping advertisers and politicians friendly. No threat of violence.

 

Have you tried sending booze?

[Cheeseburger_in_paradise]

My question was really about the US being ranked 36th freest press in the world, by Reporters without Borders. Counties like Belgium and Iceland score in top five, year in year out.

[Chef Jim]

When I think of free press I think information that is not controlled by the government. Not information that is sold to the highest bidder. If you printed with your heart would you lose your job?

[GG]

My question was really about the US being ranked 36th freest press in the world, by Reporters without Borders. Counties like Belgium and Iceland score in top five, year in year out.

 

Then as a reporter, you would have gone to the survey's site and looked at the methodology yourself to judge what that #38 really means, and how far away #38 was from #1?

[Cheeseburger_in_paradise]

When I think of free press I think information that is not controlled by the government. Not information that is sold to the highest bidder. If you printed with your heart would you lose your job?

 

I get paid when they print what I write. If they don't publish it, I tend not to get paid. They print pretty much everything I turn in, because I can always find something, and I'm careful. There is stuff I've had to walk away from. Stimulus money being spent to clear out mangroves, that some locally don't agree with is environmentally desirable or aesthetically pleasing and good for property values. No coverage. A hotel cheating employees, falsifying tax documents. No touchy. Local town Mayor owns construction company that's doing a lot of the work around a new mall. I'm actually pretty OK with that one. A good guy that has a company that does good work. But again, I wasn't really thinking about my own situation. 36th out of 173. Luxenberg is freer than us?

[RkFast]

I get paid when they print what I write. If they don't publish it, I tend not to get paid. They print pretty much everything I turn in, because I can always find something, and I'm careful. There is stuff I've had to walk away from. Stimulus money being spent to clear out mangroves, that some locally don't agree with is environmentally desirable or aesthetically pleasing and good for property values. No coverage. A hotel cheating employees, falsifying tax documents. No touchy. Local town Mayor owns construction company that's doing a lot of the work around a new mall. I'm actually pretty OK with that one. A good guy that has a company that does good work. But again, I wasn't really thinking about my own situation. 36th out of 173. Luxenberg is freer than us?

 

 

Define "freer."

 

Because so far all youre insinuating is that its defined by the ability to get a story picked up, not whether stories are beign suppressed by a government or other regulating body.

 

Thats wrong.

[Cheeseburger_in_paradise]

Then as a reporter, you would have gone to the survey's site and looked at the methodology yourself to judge what that #38 really means, and how far away #38 was from #1?

 

Yeah, that would make a difference in how the world looks at us. Right. I will probably look deeper at it though. I just thought I'd throw it out here, since so many of you are so much smarter than anybody else in the whole world.

 

Define "freer."

 

Because so far all youre insinuating is that its defined by the ability to get a story picked up, not whether stories are beign suppressed by a government or other regulating body.

 

Thats wrong.

 

I'm not trying to insinuate anything. I suspect our fourth Estate is suppressing some information. I understand self censorship is acceptable in the journalistic world. I'm just wondering, how is this happening. We are not a dictatorship.

[Chef Jim]

Yeah, that would make a difference in how the world looks at us. Right. I will probably look deeper at it though. I just thought I'd throw it out here, since so many of you are so much smarter than anybody else in the whole world.

 

I'm #42. What number are you?

[Cheeseburger_in_paradise]

I'm #42. What number are you?

 

Not even that high up.

[GG]

Yeah, that would make a difference in how the world looks at us. Right. I will probably look deeper at it though. I just thought I'd throw it out here, since so many of you are so much smarter than anybody else in the whole world.

 

 

 

I'm not trying to insinuate anything. I suspect our fourth Estate is suppressing some information. I understand self censorship is acceptable in the journalistic world. I'm just wondering, how is this happening. We are not a dictatorship.

 

We're not smarter than the world, but frankly who cares how the world looks at us. It's like critiquing a SuperBowl champion for having uglier cheerleaders.

 

Basically, the US gets knocked because apparently corporate ownership of journalism is bad.

 

At least I agree with them is that there's a loophole in protecting journalists from releasing their sources.

[DC Tom]

I'm not trying to insinuate anything. I suspect our fourth Estate is suppressing some information. I understand self censorship is acceptable in the journalistic world. I'm just wondering, how is this happening. We are not a dictatorship.

 

I've got to agree with Rk (painful though that may be): define "free press".

 

Personally, I certainly don't believe a reasonable definition of "free press" means free from its own editorial interference - that's bias, and a biased press can still be a free press. I would entertain the suggestion that a "free press" should include freedom from corporate interference as well...but quite honestly, that is not and never was the American definition of "free press".

 

Odds are, having not yet read Reporters Without Borders' definition of "free press", their definition is more along the lines of "egalitarian press", thus their survey is bull ****. And given that I'm the 17th smartest person in the world, I'm of course correct.

[Booster4324]

I've got to agree with Rk (painful though that may be): define "free press".

 

Personally, I certainly don't believe a reasonable definition of "free press" means free from its own editorial interference - that's bias, and a biased press can still be a free press. I would entertain the suggestion that a "free press" should include freedom from corporate interference as well...but quite honestly, that is not and never was the American definition of "free press".

 

Odds are, having not yet read Reporters Without Borders' definition of "free press", their definition is more along the lines of "egalitarian press", thus their survey is bull ****. And given that I'm the 17th smartest person in the world, I'm of course correct.

 

Only 17th? You feeling okay Tom?

[DC Tom]

Only 17th? You feeling okay Tom?

 

Well...I could lie, but what's the point in being arrogant about it?

[Cheeseburger_in_paradise]

A watchdog group apparently. The report measures the violations of press freedom in the world, taking into account murders, imprisonment, physical attacks and threats as well as censorship, confiscation, searches and harassment. Being in ongoing conflicts like Iraq seems to hurt the US ranking, as journalists die and get hurt over there. That factors in somehow. Subjective I'm sure, like the various rankings of best US cities to live for retirees or something.

[RkFast]

A watchdog group apparently. The report measures the violations of press freedom in the world, taking into account murders, imprisonment, physical attacks and threats as well as censorship, confiscation, searches and harassment. Being in ongoing conflicts like Iraq seems to hurt the US ranking, as journalists die and get hurt over there. That factors in somehow. Subjective I'm sure, like the various rankings of best US cities to live for retirees or something.

 

Well, then if those are the criteria then of course Countries like Luxembourg and Belgium will come out on top. Becuase all the press writes about there are stories about the Schleck brothers, Tom Boonen's latest cocaine binges, and beer.

[drnykterstein]

The countries who support wikileaks have the freest press. I think that is a really good litmus test.

 

(obviously the US is doing everything it can to destroy wikileaks, so..)

Edited November 9, 2010 by conner

[DC Tom]

The countries who support wikileaks have the freest press. I think that is a really good litmus test.

 

(obviously the US is doing everything it can to destroy wikileaks, so..)

 

Oh, God...

 

 

You really should consider donating your brain to science. There'd be real value in studying one that's never been used.