Freedom of the Press - When Does it Cross the Line?
We in America have a problem with the Press/Media and how it reports the news and when it's reporting is Treasonous or Anti-American. Iraq has decided to shut down Al Jazeera and other Arab News Stations.
Is this limiting the Freedom of the Press or is it closing a Terrorist sympathizing News Organization? Where is the line that seperates the two? Let's look at the facts.
Al Jazeera likes to broadcast Terrorists beheadings, they get all the Osama Bin Ladin tapes/videos and broadcast those, is this reporting the news or being a mouthpiece for Terrorists? Is their aim to be news reporters or to imflame the desention of Iraqis against their newly formed Gov't? IMO they have stepped over the line when all they report are the "Insergency" actions and not the Goodwill of Americans and the Democratic process that Iraq is undergoing. When the majority of your "News" reports/supports Terrorists activities, then you have crossed over the line. Through their biasing of their stories, they have shown what their intent is, and Iraq does have the right to ban them. But Iraq needs to remember that this is not a decision to be taken lightly, this can become a focal point for future limiting of the Freedom of the Press.
Now let us look closer to home. Has our press stepped over the line in reporting nothing but Abu Ghraid abuses, Soldier Death Counts, and Insergency stories and not the good that is being done in Iraq? I think they are become damn close to this line. What they are purposely doing is trying to Bias the public against the war in Iraq and against Bush. There has not been fair and balanced news out of the ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and the Slimes (NY and LA) in a long time. Their whole purpose is biasing and influencing the public. I am tired of it, but I won't advocate their shutdown by the Gov't, either. If we hit them in the pocketbook, through readership loss, that is the way to give them a wake-up call. But I don't think that will work either, because they are so egotistical to think that what they are doing is right and for the good of the public, that it will take a major drop in readership/viewing to really shake them up. We can pray for it, but I don't see it happening, because there are to many people out there that do not think for themselves and rely on the Press to think for them. Pity.
Mr Minority
DUBAI, July 25 (Reuters) - Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari accused regional satellite channels of inciting violence and hinted Iraq might stop Al Jazeera operating in the country.
"Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, al-Manar and al-Alam have all become channels of incitement and opposed to the interests, security and stability of the Iraqi people," Zebari told Al Jazeera television.
"There is strong talk from some Iraqi government officials about closing Al Jazeera. Unfortunately it is being manipulated by terrorist groups and we will not tolerate this biased coverage," he said.
Is this limiting the Freedom of the Press or is it closing a Terrorist sympathizing News Organization? Where is the line that seperates the two? Let's look at the facts.
Al Jazeera likes to broadcast Terrorists beheadings, they get all the Osama Bin Ladin tapes/videos and broadcast those, is this reporting the news or being a mouthpiece for Terrorists? Is their aim to be news reporters or to imflame the desention of Iraqis against their newly formed Gov't? IMO they have stepped over the line when all they report are the "Insergency" actions and not the Goodwill of Americans and the Democratic process that Iraq is undergoing. When the majority of your "News" reports/supports Terrorists activities, then you have crossed over the line. Through their biasing of their stories, they have shown what their intent is, and Iraq does have the right to ban them. But Iraq needs to remember that this is not a decision to be taken lightly, this can become a focal point for future limiting of the Freedom of the Press.
Now let us look closer to home. Has our press stepped over the line in reporting nothing but Abu Ghraid abuses, Soldier Death Counts, and Insergency stories and not the good that is being done in Iraq? I think they are become damn close to this line. What they are purposely doing is trying to Bias the public against the war in Iraq and against Bush. There has not been fair and balanced news out of the ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and the Slimes (NY and LA) in a long time. Their whole purpose is biasing and influencing the public. I am tired of it, but I won't advocate their shutdown by the Gov't, either. If we hit them in the pocketbook, through readership loss, that is the way to give them a wake-up call. But I don't think that will work either, because they are so egotistical to think that what they are doing is right and for the good of the public, that it will take a major drop in readership/viewing to really shake them up. We can pray for it, but I don't see it happening, because there are to many people out there that do not think for themselves and rely on the Press to think for them. Pity.
Mr Minority
