The Role of a Free Press in a Free Society receives Karita Hummer's Silver Pen Award

Jamess is the recipient of KaritaHummer's Silver Pen award for this important and very timely article. The Role of a Free Press in a Free Society by: jamess Cross-posted from Progrssive Blue http://www.eenrblog.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2976 Tue Oct 28, 2008 at 09:40:29 AM EDT

(an accountability opinion.... :D - promoted by poligirl) [Abbreviated version of original post: Jul 20, 2007 by jamess, on dailykos] Freedom of the Press By Ellen Hume, Director, Center on Media and Society, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Mar. 29, 2007 ... four essential roles that a Free Press serves: 1. holding government leaders accountable to the people, 2. publicizing issues that need attention, 3. educating citizens so they can make informed decisions, and 4. connecting people with each other in civil society. http://www.democracy.gov/dd/en...

1) Holding Government Accountable The watchdog function is often the hardest to perform well. Government agencies and officials are not always willing to be transparent, especially if there is no tradition of public scrutiny. ... "Freedom of speech and exchange of information are not just luxuries, they are the currency on which global commerce, politics, and culture increasingly depend," observed David Hoffman, the founder of Internews, an international nongovernmental agency that helps train and develop independent media in 50 countries. 2) Publicizing Issues Without a free and independent press sector, the full responsibility for public information and safety resides only in the government. This lack of public engagement can seriously undermine a country's security and economic growth. For example, the Chinese media did not report the unfolding SARS epidemic in 2003 accurately, because they were following their government's wishes to minimize the crisis. ... In this case, the independent foreign media held the government accountable on behalf of the people when the local media were not allowed to do so. 3) Educating Citizens When they are able to function freely, local newspapers and radio and television stations can be important building blocks of democracy. In addition to serving as a watchdog on local institutions and alerting the public to safety issues, they can help citizens understand and access their distant government. ... The news is watched by the authorities as well as the citizens. When the government tried to shut down the station at one point in order to control its political influence, the public and sponsors protested, and the government had to let it reopen. 4) Connecting People Access to the local news can even save lives. When Hurricane Katrina was bearing down on New Orleans, Louisiana ... To be sure, the free press does not always perform professionally, and there can be unintended consequences to opening up the media. But the more the news media offer balanced news and community discussions, the more the public values them. This civic information is the fuel of democracy. The people become better educated and take more responsibility for their own well being. The media can act as a safety valve by offering a forum for diverse voices to be heard. ... A second World Bank report, Consultations With the Poor, studied 20,000 poor people in 23 countries and found that what most "differentiates poor people from rich people is a lack of voice. The inability to be represented. The inability to convey to the people in authority what it is that they think. The inability to have a searchlight put on the conditions of inequality. These people interviewed do not have Ph.D.s but they have the knowledge of poverty, and the first thing they talked about is not money. It is lack of voice, it is lack of the ability to express themselves." A vibrant media sector, with competing independent newspapers, radio, Internet Web sites, and television, allows those voices to be heard. These media can spotlight problems, encourage fellow citizens and government officials to address them, and empower even the destitute with real information. Everyone gains if the poor have a chance to improve their lot, taking part in the opportunities afforded by free speech, free press, and the right to assembly in democratic societies. --------- Ellen Hume, Director, Center on Media and Society, goes on to summarize the importance of the Free Press by equating Information with Power: ... it is impossible to maximize political stability, economic growth, and democracy without the free flow of information. Information is power. If a nation is to enjoy the political and economic advantages enabled by the rule of law, powerful institutions must be open to scrutiny by the people. If technology and science are to advance, ideas must be openly shared. And if government is to be valued because it is accountable to the people, free and independent news media are essential to that process. That is why Thomas Jefferson, the primary drafter of the American Declaration of Independence, insisted that the U.S. Constitution include the public's right to free speech, a free press, and public assembly. "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter," he wrote in 1787. ... Hosted by usinfo.state.gov http://www.democracy.gov/dd/en... ============ [...] In my opinion, Corporations, including Media Corporations NEED TO BE GOOD CITIZENS TOO! (At least until that future day when the Supreme Court, reverses the ruling that "Corporations are really persons" too) [...] Does the average citizen realize the many dangerous implications of Presidential "Signing Statements" -- that they effectively put the Bush Administration "above the law"? Or another example, does the average citizen know where the Candidates stand on the Issues? (Hardly, unless you consider haircuts, gender, ethnicity, fund-raising, and polls, to be "important Issues"; which seems be all the MSM cares to report about the Candidates.) SO, NO the MSM FAILS TO EDUCATE CITIZENS TO BE INFORMED AND EFFECTIVE CITIZENS ! [...] Maybe when "Freedom of Choice" is combined with "Freedom of the Press", it's destined to result in a dumbed down, tuned out, apathetic electorate? Given SO many different Media choices, maybe it's like Bruce Springsteen says "There's 500 channels and nothin' on"? (Although, I doubt Thomas Jefferson would agree with this assessment, as he preferred Newspapers, over Government, given a choice!) When will Reality (and all its weighty consequences) finally trump the Angst/Apathy of this Media-saturated generation? (I'm talking about Reality-in-the-World all around us, NOT Reality-TV, which is staged and edited entertainment.) Perhaps if the MSM stepped up its efforts to publicize important issues again (like our "broken Health Care" system), and to educate citizens (like on "our system of checks and balances", and the threats it now faces), and perhaps if the MSM actually helped Congress, to hold Leaders Accountable -- instead of holding those same Leaders harmless -- well then just MAYBE ... that would WAKE UP the "tuned out" public from its yawning "Civic Apathy"? Perhaps IF ONLY the Media would work for the "Public Good", for a change, instead of its all-consuming Corporate Profits, well MAYBE then "We The People" would finally start to "feel good" about our Country, and our Future again? Maybe the MSM could actually restore Hope again? ... Could be? Until then it's up to Citizen-Bloggers, to fulfil these all-important "Roles of a Free Press in a Free Society". It's up to us to be the 4th Estate, the Government Watchdogs, to act as the crier in the public square, as an important linchpin of our Constitutional form of Democracy; And it's up to us to value Fact-based Information above all else! Afterall that's where the Power is!

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