4 March 2005 - 5:08pm
Freedom of the Press for Millionaires
[url=http://www.mediagirl.org/trackback/267]media girl writes[/url] about what's happening when the rich and powerful seek to squelch the freedom of the press.
For the freedom of the press to be truly free, it must be equal. If I am a millionaire and can buy a newspaper or other media, I can swamp you as you hand your handbills out in Harvard Square and paint you as someone not to be believed - and who believes those people handing out stuff, anyway. Most of it is ignored.
The Internet was about to equalize the worst of this and make the freedom of the press more equal.
Now it seems not.
So, on the unlevel playing field, we are equal. On the level playing field, we are in danger of being muzzled.
"All freedom of the press is equal, but some freedom is more equal than others."
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[url=http://www.wifp.org/reporton7realities.html]Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press[/url] gives seven realities of journalism and reform that come straight out of the second wave of feminism. A lot of us stand on these women's shoulders.
Worth a look. It's short!
The Blogosphere needs to get organized now. I'm going to work on some talking points we can use as we come under seige, because a seige is, indeed, on its way
You don't have to be Karl Marx to see that the capitalists own the means of production. Ask any capitalist. He'll tell you.
The ability to reach many used to be the private preserve of those who were rich enough to buy printing presses or networks.
The internet is the great equalizer and everyone and anyone can get his or her message out and now the powers that be realize that they don't dig the message. They want it stopped.
The sham that there is a freed press in this country is not at issue. Free speech is in question and the issue of "credentials" and "responsible journalism" charges is a red herring.
Time to let people know that the government and big business does not want take the internet away. Not at all. Their issue is that they want to own it, or at least control it and charge us money and use our tax dollars to enforce their ownership.
If that happens, the free press truly is not free, but available only to the millionaires and miltinationals who can buy it.