Is a free press important?

[jansu]

A popular government, without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps, both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. James Madison

There are two court rulings, one in New York and one in Florida, which ruled that there is no law, rule or regulation, that makes the Media tell the American people the truth.

They can legally lie to us!

Is this good for the American people or our Republic?

Do you remember the Bush Administration started a sub-agency which was set up for the express purpose of Propaganda and telling lies? Not that they need any help in that area....anytime they open their mouths, they can not help lying!

We need to take back control of the media. We need to pass laws (and I can not believe that I want any more laws, but I do, for the people in power need to be controlled), which make it a crime to knowingly lie to the American people!

If I can be jailed, for lying to the Government, why should they not be equally at risk for lying to the rulers (that's us) of this country?

Right now, only six corporations own all of the media, except a couple of local newspapers who have refused to be bought out. They are owned by extreme right Republican interests. The FCC changed the ownership rules and so many people wrote their Congress, that it was overturned, But then Bush vetoed that.

We need to take back our country & take back the media! This may be a "chicken or the egg" type of situation!

[el_gato]

1. without any control over the debate we will never win anything

the media is central
we have to create alternatives

[morningglory]

2. If we had one, we might have an opinion... n/t

[mojo2004]

3. One man's 'lie' is another man's 'truth'....

the truth usually lies in ones perspective. What if the GOP gains futher control of the government? Then the GOP gets to decide what the truth is and use the force of government to enforce its views.

[BigDaddyLove]

4. I've often wondered when 'we' EVER owned the media....

What gets printed or broadcast is decided on by those who own the newspapers and or the T.V. stations; when has there ever been a media that was otherwise controlled?

Freedom of the press belongs to those who own the press, not to the consumers of the information.

If we 'took back' the media, to whom would we give it? Just those who held a liberal viewpoint? Or maybe to those who held views similar to your own, and dismiss those who don't?

I think the internet comes as close to having a free press as we're ever gonna get......anyone can write what they feel and put it up for all the world to see.

[Zero Gravitas]

5. Yes

A free press in the USA would be a good idea.

[Az]

6. Something has to change

It must not only be free but it must be independent from corporations as well. It has gone too far. It no longer serves the people. It serves the dollar and the corporations.

[buckeye1]

7. So start your own newspaper.

Freedom of the press means you can say whatever you want. If you don't like the broadcast rules,vote to change them. If you don't like cable don't buy it.The cable channels have pathetic 3 million viewers in primetime. With so many better choices, why would anyone watch?

[Zero Gravitas]

9. Indeed

"If you don't like the broadcast rules,vote to change them."

Or if you are the Corporate Media give lots of money to Bush* and have the FCC change the rules in your favor.

The problem is the corporate media and their influence on the government.

[Suspicious]

8. Two of my favorite quotes,

both of which sum up the state of affairs in the U.S. (as relates to our media) quite nicely:

I wouldn't call it fascism exactly, but a political system nominally controlled by an irresponsible, dumbed down electorate who are manipulated by dishonest, cynical, controlled mass media that dispense the propaganda of a corrupt political establishment can hardly be described as democracy either.--Edward Zehr

Propaganda is to democracy as violence is to totalitarianism. The techniques have been honed into a high art, far beyond anything Orwell dreamt of. The device of feigned dissent, incorporating the doctrines of the state religion and eliminating rational critical discussion, is one of the more subtle means, although simple lying and suppression of fact and other crude techniques are also widely used and highly effective in protecting us from knowledge and understanding of the world in which we live. --Noam Chomsky, "Notes on Orwell's Problem," from Knowledge of Language; its origin, nature, and use. 1986. pp. 280-281