I believe that many in the US, even some in the media don't understand "Freedom of the press" as it exists, has historically existed in the US, and how the federal courts have ruled on it over the years.
The "press" can report anything it learns and wants to report in the same way you can say anything you want to say. It means the press is immune from government prosecution. The government can request that certain events, facts not be reported, and the press can choose to honor the request or not. This is not censorship. There are clear and obvious exceptions. As with speech, if the press publishes something that would result in a "clear and present danger", I'm sure you'll find the courts ruling against them. An example would be publishing the names of US spies located in a foreign country like, say, China. They would likely be found complicent in their deaths. Another example would be publishing weaknesses or weak areas in US combat forces engaging in or about to engage in combat. While in general, the press is free to print what it learns, this does not mean that anyone or any agency has any legal obligation to help them. Everyone, even the government, has a right to say "no comment" and the press is free to make anything of it that they wish. In general, the press has been present (invited and/or accommodated) along side regular troops in many wars - though never with special forces. In these cases, the press may be required to sign away some of their rights and allow their copy to be censored. If they don't want to sign, well then, they can run around the battle field on their own. In time of war, it is sufficient that we learn the details after they can no longer affect the outcome. This "freedom of the press" is freedom from government prosecution. It is not freedom from civil prosecution. If the press is negligent and recklessly harms someone or some civil group unjustly, they can be sued. IOW, being a PJ and working for the press does not entitle one to any position for any shot. FYI, all governments misdirect the media to some extent in time of war. The tactic is not directed at the US population, but at the enemy through the media. My mother (RCAF) tells the story of the cover used to explain the sudden increase in success in nighttime bombing during WWII. The Brits had developed a useful airborne RADAR which allowed the pilots and bombardiers to clearly see targets at night, and they naturally wanted to keep the innovation secret as long as possible. They leaked the "news" that high quantities of retinol processed from carrots was responsible for a great increase in the night vision of pilots. Some downed German airmen were found to have stuffed themselves to the gills with carrots just before night time flights! The ONLY object of war is to win, hopefully with as little loss to your own side as possible. This is accomplished by destroying the enemy's ability to wage war. There is no substitute for victory. Minimal loss to the opposing side or to their civilian population is a merely a side bonus. No war is sterile. All wars have civilian, non combatant losses. Every nation that embarks on a course leading to war leads it's entire population into harms way. The US does not set out on a course directed to harm innocents. This is not due to some "nobility" on the part of the US. It is because this is a waste of perfectly good munitions that could be better used on the enemy. Civilians are often caught up in the fray as the US or any other nation goes about the process of destroying the enemy's ability to do war. In WWII, ball bearing factories turned out the precision bearings necessary to construct the machines of war (aircraft, tanks etc.). We targeted the factories, slowed the enemy's war machine and civilians died. This is all in direct contradiction to the tactics of our enemy, an enemy that targets civilians. I was amused to hear the Taliban explain that they would win because they were willing to die for their cause and US soldiers weren't. It was General George S. Patton who said something like, "No one ever won a war by dieing for his country. The object of war is not to die for your country. It's to make the other bastard die for his." Regards, Bob... -------------------- "Let us contemplate our forefathers, and posterity, and resolve to maintain the rights bequeathed to us from the former, for the sake of the latter. The necessity of the times, more than ever, calls for our utmost circumspection, deliberation, fortitude, and perseverance. Let us remember that 'if we suffer tamely a lawless attack upon our liberty, we encourage it, and involve others in our doom.' It is a very serious consideration that millions yet unborn may be the miserable sharers of the event." - Samuel Adams, 1771 From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > In a message dated 12/5/01 8:08:11 AM Eastern Standard Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > > "I am not sure as I am not in USA, but hasn't it gone away already a > > bit (freedom of the press) in war events? " > > Yah, even the American press, itself filled to the brim with this newfound > patriotism, has kowtowed to Bush on this "war." The pabulum we're being > spoon-fed from the Bush people in no way tells the story. We haven't heard an > estimate of Taliban casualties, which may be approaching 12,000 DEAD. Have > Americans or the world heard that? Do we know anything about what is > happening inside Afghanistan except what the administration wants us to hear? > No way! > **Adminstrationn misdirection of hard news started in the Vietnam War, was > refined in the Gulf War and has come to full fruition in this war. Death > rides our bombs but we get more propaganda about the Taliban. We are being > forced to listen to our side about Khadahar, where stupid Arab Taliban are > making it easy for the stories to focus on them as opposed to what is > actually happening. Our bombs are forcing the populations into minefields to > escape them. Won't hear about that in our now cowardly American press. - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
