Comments on: It Became Necessary To Destroy The Free Press In Order To Save It http://www.popehat.com/2010/07/14/it-became-necessary-to-destroy-the-free-press-in-order-to-save-it/ A Group Complaint about Law, Liberty, and Leisure Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:39:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Blawg Review #273 | 95years http://www.popehat.com/2010/07/14/it-became-necessary-to-destroy-the-free-press-in-order-to-save-it/comment-page-1/#comment-100904 Blawg Review #273 | 95years Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:40:32 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=8663#comment-100904 [...] daily print newspaper readership continues to decline along with advertising revenues. Patrick at Popehat reports on a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed in which Columbia University president Lee Bollinger [...] [...] daily print newspaper readership continues to decline along with advertising revenues. Patrick at Popehat reports on a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed in which Columbia University president Lee Bollinger [...]

]]> By: Rich Rostrom http://www.popehat.com/2010/07/14/it-became-necessary-to-destroy-the-free-press-in-order-to-save-it/comment-page-1/#comment-100331 Rich Rostrom Sat, 17 Jul 2010 14:11:39 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=8663#comment-100331 "The Constitution only guarantees freedom of the press, not a free press." As they say in the open-source community, there's "free as a bird", and "free as in beer". Your analogy to farm subsidies is very much on point. Farmers were looked on from the beginning of the republic as a class of true-hearted yeomen. Honest, self-reliant, hard-working: the backbone of the nation, in the view of agrarians from Jefferson to William Jennings Bryan. When the 1920 Census reported that rural Americans were no longer a majority, the shock prevented a new Congressional apportionment that decade. And then, in 1920s and 30s, it seemed that farmers, despite their hard work, couldn't make living. They were losing their farms to foreclosure and bankruptcy. And that didn't seem fair, so the principle of price supports was adopted. "Parity" for grain prices was declared, and (in theory) set so that farmers could go on farming at a profit. Because farmers were noble, and valuable, and worked hard, and deserved a fair living for their labor... (Cue mohair subsidies, tobacco-growing quotas, ethanol subsidies, sugar import quotas, and the "Mississippi Christmas Tree".) The parallel to "journalists" today is not exact, but it sure is strong. "Press subsidies" would be just as subject to abuse as farm subsidies, and far more dangerous. Because agribusiness can affect the political system only by money, really, same as everybody else. But the press affects politics directly. It is even considered a part of the system: "the Fourth Estate". "The Constitution only guarantees freedom of the press, not a free press."

As they say in the open-source community, there's "free as a bird", and "free as in beer".

Your analogy to farm subsidies is very much on point.

Farmers were looked on from the beginning of the republic as a class of true-hearted yeomen. Honest, self-reliant, hard-working: the backbone of the nation, in the view of agrarians from Jefferson to William Jennings Bryan.

When the 1920 Census reported that rural Americans were no longer a majority, the shock prevented a new Congressional apportionment that decade.

And then, in 1920s and 30s, it seemed that farmers, despite their hard work, couldn't make living. They were losing their farms to foreclosure and bankruptcy. And that didn't seem fair, so the principle of price supports was adopted. "Parity" for grain prices was declared, and (in theory) set so that farmers could go on farming at a profit. Because farmers were noble, and valuable, and worked hard, and deserved a fair living for their labor…

(Cue mohair subsidies, tobacco-growing quotas, ethanol subsidies, sugar import quotas, and the "Mississippi Christmas Tree".)

The parallel to "journalists" today is not exact, but it sure is strong.

"Press subsidies" would be just as subject to abuse as farm subsidies, and far more dangerous. Because agribusiness can affect the political system only by money, really, same as everybody else. But the press affects politics directly. It is even considered a part of the system: "the Fourth Estate".

]]> By: Jeff Hall http://www.popehat.com/2010/07/14/it-became-necessary-to-destroy-the-free-press-in-order-to-save-it/comment-page-1/#comment-100112 Jeff Hall Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:09:07 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=8663#comment-100112 "and that for years, perhaps decades, our great newspapers did not report one single, solitary fucking word about BP/Gulf’s environmental record. Partially because our great newspapers accepted millions of dollars in advertising revenue from BP/Gulf, and partially because reporting on oil rig safety hazards isn’t sexy, unless there’s an oil rig disaster." And mostly because, like law schools, journalism departments do not require that its students learn anything about science or business, much less about geology, mechanical engineering, chemistry, or physics. "and that for years, perhaps decades, our great newspapers did not report one single, solitary fucking word about BP/Gulf’s environmental record. Partially because our great newspapers accepted millions of dollars in advertising revenue from BP/Gulf, and partially because reporting on oil rig safety hazards isn’t sexy, unless there’s an oil rig disaster."

And mostly because, like law schools, journalism departments do not require that its students learn anything about science or business, much less about geology, mechanical engineering, chemistry, or physics.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.popehat.com/2010/07/14/it-became-necessary-to-destroy-the-free-press-in-order-to-save-it/comment-page-1/#comment-100040 Patrick Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:03:33 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=8663#comment-100040 <a href="http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/blagojevich-on-trial/2010/06/administration-targeted-1-editorial-writer-.html" rel="nofollow">No, it certainly wouldn't.</a> No, it certainly wouldn't.

]]> By: Ken http://www.popehat.com/2010/07/14/it-became-necessary-to-destroy-the-free-press-in-order-to-save-it/comment-page-1/#comment-99976 Ken Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:48:50 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=8663#comment-99976 You're such a cynic Patrick. Our government would <a href="http://www.popehat.com/2009/05/22/giving-whiskey-and-car-keys-to-teenaged-boys/" rel="nofollow">never abuse whatever power we give it to influence editorial content.</a> Never. You're such a cynic Patrick. Our government would never abuse whatever power we give it to influence editorial content. Never.

]]> By: Armando Valle http://www.popehat.com/2010/07/14/it-became-necessary-to-destroy-the-free-press-in-order-to-save-it/comment-page-1/#comment-99818 Armando Valle Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:42:30 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=8663#comment-99818 Very well written article, Patrick. And the very last sentence scared the living bejeebus out of me! Very well written article, Patrick. And the very last sentence scared the living bejeebus out of me!

]]> By: Aashish http://www.popehat.com/2010/07/14/it-became-necessary-to-destroy-the-free-press-in-order-to-save-it/comment-page-1/#comment-99790 Aashish Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:09:59 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=8663#comment-99790 Patrick, I'm glad to see you making more posts. Definitely find most of it interesting. Patrick, I'm glad to see you making more posts. Definitely find most of it interesting.

]]> By: Dave (ND) http://www.popehat.com/2010/07/14/it-became-necessary-to-destroy-the-free-press-in-order-to-save-it/comment-page-1/#comment-99759 Dave (ND) Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:13:11 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=8663#comment-99759 For the record, plenty has been written about BP's environmental issues. http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=BP+gulf+environment&btnG=Search+Archives&hl=en&ned=us&scoring=a For the record, plenty has been written about BP's environmental issues.
http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=BP+gulf+environment&btnG=Search+Archives&hl=en&ned=us&scoring=a

]]> By: SG http://www.popehat.com/2010/07/14/it-became-necessary-to-destroy-the-free-press-in-order-to-save-it/comment-page-1/#comment-99752 SG Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:22:09 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=8663#comment-99752 As a regular reader of BBC News, I find it a very good news source, critical and professionnal at the same time. And even in the Thatcher years her husband was still angry at the "trotsks" of the BBC. I think it's about national traditions... Here in France we have an old tradition of media censorship "by the king's will". Not that long ago, there was the ORTF (for TV), which would pander to de Gaulle's every whim. Even now the head of the TV regulating body is appointed by the President, and it's a political appointment. I think there are very few countries in which the press is actually free. Especially since, as you pointed out, private funding doesn't further the freedom of the press, any more than the right to prostitute themselves would further the freedom of women. As a regular reader of BBC News, I find it a very good news source, critical and professionnal at the same time. And even in the Thatcher years her husband was still angry at the "trotsks" of the BBC.

I think it's about national traditions… Here in France we have an old tradition of media censorship "by the king's will". Not that long ago, there was the ORTF (for TV), which would pander to de Gaulle's every whim. Even now the head of the TV regulating body is appointed by the President, and it's a political appointment. I think there are very few countries in which the press is actually free.

Especially since, as you pointed out, private funding doesn't further the freedom of the press, any more than the right to prostitute themselves would further the freedom of women.

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