Is the US press really that free?

[noviapriani]

The NYTimes, like most of the media, exalts their vision of freedom of the press, but they fail to critically examine whether press freedom can (and should) be more restricted than they would like. Consider Canada, where press freedom is less than in the USA. They seem to be doing fine.

[galbros]

The US press is "free" in the sense they can print and say mostly what they want.  The issue is that they are supported by advertising.  So they are basically as free as a whore, they can say whatever their pimp lets them and the pimp wants them to entertain the largest audience. 

[TheButterZone]

They're free to fuck off...

Police just escorted me out of scheduled interview. Chief Cathy Lanier threw me out. Speed cam questions. @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/kawjdybADO

[Honeypot]

The US press is "free" in the sense they can print and say mostly what they want.  The issue is that they are supported by advertising.  So they are basically as free as a whore, they can say whatever their pimp lets them and the pimp wants them to entertain the largest audience. 

Ditto for every other press in the world. People think their press is free, no.

You are only as free as the sword allows you to be.

Where's your fucking pen now?

[taylortyler]

It's far from optimal, but it could definitely be worse. TV media is free to an extent, but they do have to worry about editors, and of course government. Editors could also be compromised one way or another. There are many reasons why a station might not report on an important story, and they don't all have to do with government intervention. But Operation Mockingbird is definitely worth looking into. If you think that the US government stopped placing undercover assets in various news organizations, I have a boat to sell you.

Kind of off topic, but  I remember reading about a man in the UK who was arrested for simply having in his possession a copy of Al Qaeda's magazine Inspire, which you can download online.

“This is a serious terrorist offence and we hope this will send a clear message that anyone caught in possession of such material can expect to be bought before the courts,” a government official said.

This would never fly in the US.

[InwardContour]

The US press is not quite as bad as it is in some places of the world like China or North Korea, but it will almost always have some kind of bias.

[ALToids]

The US press is not quite as bad as it is in some places of the world like China or North Korea, but it will almost always have some kind of bias.

You cannot eliminate bias - that is human.  You can try to curtail it by having reporters state facts as facts and not offer conjecture.  They should make every news piece an opinion piece by selectively withholding facts.

If one side overpowers and basically sidelines the other or multiple other viewpoints it's no longer free.

[GangkisKhan]

The US press is not quite as bad as it is in some places of the world like China or North Korea, but it will almost always have some kind of bias.

You cannot eliminate bias - that is human.  You can try to curtail it by having reporters state facts as facts and not offer conjecture.  They should make every news piece an opinion piece by selectively withholding facts.

If one side overpowers and basically sidelines the other or multiple other viewpoints it's no longer free.

Yes.

Even news on the internet can be biased as moderators can censor and ban user.

[InwardContour]

The US press is not quite as bad as it is in some places of the world like China or North Korea, but it will almost always have some kind of bias.

You cannot eliminate bias - that is human.  You can try to curtail it by having reporters state facts as facts and not offer conjecture.  They should make every news piece an opinion piece by selectively withholding facts.

If one side overpowers and basically sidelines the other or multiple other viewpoints it's no longer free.

This is true but the media is suppose to only report facts and leave bias out of stories. Another issue is that the bias is almost always to the liberal viewpoint

[bitmarket.io]

Persecution and prosecution of journalists in the US over the past few years has gone beyond anything in my lifetime, but Obama's a lame duck. Since they're largely administrative (DoJ, admin lapdog) decisions, it's kind of pointless to talk about it except maybe to bring awareness to it and see what 2016 pres. candidates say.

Not to mention censorship of the NYT.

[galbros]

I think as long as humans are involved there is going to be some bias.  I think the US press is free from most government censorship.

[u9y42]

You cannot eliminate bias - that is human.  You can try to curtail it by having reporters state facts as facts and not offer conjecture.  They should make every news piece an opinion piece by selectively withholding facts.

If one side overpowers and basically sidelines the other or multiple other viewpoints it's no longer free.

That would be interesting, but probably not very practical and/or hard to implement. I mean, on the one hand, many events can easily be misinterpreted when presented without context (that is, an idea of what led to the current situation); on the other hand, the bias could easily shift to simply not reporting selected events, which kind of already happens.

I think as long as humans are involved there is going to be some bias.  I think the US press is free from most government censorship.

It might be true that the press is mostly free from government censorship in the US (though certainly not completely); but as mentioned before, government censorship is only one way to control the media and it's not the primary method used in the west, as far as I can tell.

[InwardContour]

Persecution and prosecution of journalists in the US over the past few years has gone beyond anything in my lifetime, but Obama's a lame duck. Since they're largely administrative (DoJ, admin lapdog) decisions, it's kind of pointless to talk about it except maybe to bring awareness to it and see what 2016 pres. candidates say.

Not to mention censorship of the NYT.

This type of censorship is done at the editor/owner level. It is not done by the hand of the government.

[Kluge]

Persecution and prosecution of journalists in the US over the past few years has gone beyond anything in my lifetime, but Obama's a lame duck. Since they're largely administrative (DoJ, admin lapdog) decisions, it's kind of pointless to talk about it except maybe to bring awareness to it and see what 2016 pres. candidates say.

Not to mention censorship of the NYT.

This type of censorship is done at the editor/owner level. It is not done by the hand of the government.

I'd guess he was referencing James Risen who works @ NYT, though prosecution was entirely for content in a separate book, I think (not entirely sure on that). Either way, depending on the kind of articles censored, very possible it's a chilling effect and thus the result of government heavy-handedness with journalists & whistleblowers over the past few years.

[InwardContour]

Persecution and prosecution of journalists in the US over the past few years has gone beyond anything in my lifetime, but Obama's a lame duck. Since they're largely administrative (DoJ, admin lapdog) decisions, it's kind of pointless to talk about it except maybe to bring awareness to it and see what 2016 pres. candidates say.

Not to mention censorship of the NYT.

This type of censorship is done at the editor/owner level. It is not done by the hand of the government.

I'd guess he was referencing James Risen who works @ NYT, though prosecution was entirely for content in a separate book, I think (not entirely sure on that). Either way, depending on the kind of articles censored, very possible it's a chilling effect and thus the result of government heavy-handedness with journalists & whistleblowers over the past few years.

The media has already solved the James Risen problem, as maybe a year or so ago I stumbled across a link on NBC news that directs me to a TOR hidden service webpage that allows someone to submit a tip via TOR and stay anon even to the reporter.

I wouldn't say that the Obama administration's assault on the media (wiretapping journalists, forcing them to give up sources, ect.) is so much censorship of the media, as the media will still report newsworthy stories, but is rather intimidation of potential whisleblowers.

[cryptofan5]

US press is by no means free. Look at Fox or CNN: they would show only things which are permitted/approved by the government.

[CryptInvest]

I am from Russia. I really still a free press in America or not. I see that in spite of the enormous natural wealth for ordinary people we live in poverty. This is because of the terrible corruption and oligarchy. And in America, if a lot of work actually higher standard of living.

[ALToids]

I am from Russia. I really still a free press in America or not. I see that in spite of the enormous natural wealth for ordinary people we live in poverty. This is because of the terrible corruption and oligarchy. And in America, if a lot of work actually higher standard of living.

Don't worry, the career politicians in the US seem to be hellbent on creating the very same corrupt oligarchy in this country.  Get the simple people to squabble with each other over topics like gay marriage while they enslave the populace though a lifetime of debt.

[DannyElfman]

I am from Russia. I really still a free press in America or not. I see that in spite of the enormous natural wealth for ordinary people we live in poverty. This is because of the terrible corruption and oligarchy. And in America, if a lot of work actually higher standard of living.

Don't worry, the career politicians in the US seem to be hellbent on creating the very same corrupt oligarchy in this country.  Get the simple people to squabble with each other over topics like gay marriage while they enslave the populace though a lifetime of debt.

Most politicians at least claim to support the middle class in that they either want to give the middle class other people's money or want to create more opportunities for them.

[MisterDD]

This is great post.
I think that same situation is in whole world.
We actually live in masked feudalism, where big "fishes" want to have regular people under control.
Same is for press.
First we need to live in free society where money will not be on the first place, then press will have same opportunity to be free.
That is my opinion.