Press Freedom in Peril?

[Jake Martinez]

What’s disturbing about this picture?

Posted on FrontPage Magazine-By Jacob Laksin-On January 31, 2012:

“If you followed the mainstream media’s coverage of the Occupy Wall Street protests earlier this fall, you might have a number of concerns about the state of the American press. For instance, you might be concerned about what the media’s fawning coverage of OWS, which included whitewashing racism and anti-Semitism on the part of OWS participants, says about the press corps’ ability to provide fair and politically dispassionate coverage. Similarly, you might wonder if the volumes of newsprint devoted to an anarchic and often-violent campaign that had no coherent or cohesive agenda might indicate badly confused priorities on the part of media gatekeepers.

One thing you likely would not think is that the extensive coverage of OWS indicated a dramatic decline in American press freedom. That is, unless you were the France-based journalism watchdog group Reporters Without Borders (RWB). In the latest version of its annual report on global press freedom, RBW downgraded the U.S. 27 spots, to number 47 in the world. To put this in perspective: By RWB’s measure, the United States, home of the First Amendment, sits just a few notches above Haiti.

RWB’s justification for the dramatic markdown is an alleged “crackdown” on reporters covering OWS. As RWB’s report puts it, the U.S.’s precipitous fall in the rankings reflects “the crackdown on protest movements and the accompanying excesses” that “took their toll on journalists.” In two months, RWB’s report says, “more than 25 [journalists] were subjected to arrests and beatings at the hands of police who were quick to issue indictments for inappropriate behavior, public nuisance or even lack of accreditation.”

As others have noted, this justification is patently ridiculous. In any meaningful comparison, the United States is unrivaled in the freedom it affords its press. But you would hardly know it from the RWB report, which holds the U.S. to a standard imposed on no other nation. Thus, Hungary’s ruling party passed a law granting the government direct control over the media, in effect killing the country’s independent press, yet Hungary fell fewer spots in RWB’s rankings than did the United States. Meanwhile RWB singled out for praise a country like Niger, which came in at 29^th in the world in press freedom – this despite the fact that journalists in the country are routinely harassed by state security agencies, the government has a commanding control of broadcasting services, and a corrupt judiciary ensures widespread self-censorship by the press. Despite that, the U.S. still fares worse in RWB’s rankings.

These comparisons are bad enough. Even evaluated on its own terms, though, RWB’s claim that journalists covering OWS were the victims of a “crackdown” fails to withstand serious scrutiny. While it’s true and regrettable that some professional journalists were arrested amidst police crackdowns on OWS protests, those arrests were inadvertent. In making these arrests, police frequently were unable to distinguish between professional journalists and so-called “citizen journalists,” who were, in effect, OWS activists.

At New York’s Zuccotti Park, ground zero of the OWS protests, one of the first journalists to be arrested by police was John Farley, a reporter for local online magazine MetroFocus, who was swept up by police with other protestors. Although justifiably unhappy to be arrested, Farley wondered how “in a sudden burst of urban chaos” can “the police distinguish between passersby and protesters who may be committing civil disobedience or any other type of punishable offense? Or between citizen journalists and professional journalists?”

Unfortunately for some reporters, police couldn’t always make that distinction. The police’s ability to discern between journalists and activists was further complicated by the fact that even many professional journalists, including Farley, were not carrying NYPD-issued accreditation. One can sympathize with the plight of these arrested reporters while recognizing that neither they nor the press generally were the police’s intended targets.

If blame is to be assigned for journalists’ arrests, a large share of it should go to the OWS protesters themselves. Whether through acts of outright violence, such as throwing glass bottles and bags of garbage and other projectiles at police, or by refusing to vacate a privately owned public park despite repeated orders to do so, the OWS protestors provoked a police response. It is not to excuse the more heavy-handed tactics to which police resorted to point out that they were forced to act by the violent and criminal conduct of OWS protestors.

Just as evicting the protestors from a privately owned park did not constitute suppression of free speech, neither do the collateral arrests of journalists covering the OWS protests signal growing curtailment of press freedom in the U.S. Considering that journalists are purposely and aggressively targeted by governments across the world, it is particularly outrageous for RWB to equate the OWS arrests with persecution of the press. To suggest that the active targeting and murder of journalists in Russia (to take one example of many) and the incidental arrests of journalists in a police roundup of violent rioters in the U.S. are somehow commensurate in their impact on press freedom is moral equivalence on a gross and indefensible scale.

With press freedom genuinely imperiled across the world, RWB’s downgrade of the U.S. seems to be little more than an attention-grabbing stunt. In the final analysis, RWB’s report highlights a decline not of the freedom of the press but of its seriousness. Those who kept up with the media’s cheerleading coverage of OWS would not have failed to notice the trend.”

Source:

http://frontpagemag.com/2012/01/31/press-freedom-in-peril/?utm_sour...

Note:  The following articles and/or blog posts and reports reveal how George Soros, along with other liberal backers use their money to fund and/or manipulate media outlets, to include Hollywood because they see that as a powerful way to influence the American public.

It’s a strategy that Soros has been deploying extensively in media both in the United States and abroad. Since 2003, Soros has spent more than $48 million funding media properties, including the infrastructure of news - journalism schools, investigative journalism and even industry organizations.

Also included is an article and/or blog post that reveals George Soros’ hidden agenda-You Decide:

Nearly 30 Soros-funded Media Operations Part of 'War on Fox'!- Posted on Business & Media Institute-By Dan Gainor-On June 1, 2011:

http://www.mrc.org/bmi/commentary/2011/Nearly__Sorosfunded_Media_Op...

Soros-Funded Lefty Media Reach More Than 300 Million Every Month!-Posted on Business & Media Institute-By Dan Gainor-On May 25, 2011:

http://www.mrc.org/bmi/commentary/2011/Soros_Lefty_Media_Reach_More...

Soros Spends Over $48 Million Funding Media Organizations!-Posted on Business & Media Institute-By Dan Gainor-On May 18, 2011:

http://www.mrc.org/bmi/commentary/2011/Soros_Spends_Over__Million_F...

Over 30 Major News Organizations Linked to George Soros!-Posted on Business & Media Institute-By Dan Gainor-On May 11, 2011:

http://www.mrc.org/bmi/commentary/2011/Over__Major_News_Organizatio...

Citizen Soros Manipulating the Media!-Posted on Capital Research Center-By Matthew Vadum-On January 2011:

http://www.capitalresearch.org/pubs/pdf/v1293869054.pdf

George Soros, Movie Mogul: ‘Social Justice’ Cinema and the Sundance Institute!-Posted on Capital Research Center-By Rondi Adamson-On March 20o8:

http://www.capitalresearch.org/pubs/pdf/v1204311857.pdf

The Hidden Soros Agenda: Drugs, Money, the Media, and Political Power!-Posted on AIM-By Cliff Kincaid-On October 27, 2004:

http://www.aim.org/special-report/the-hidden-soros-agenda-drugs-mon...

Note:  The following article and/or blog post reveals how the Main Stream Media is assisting President Obama and his minions to bring down capitalist America, as the propaganda machine of the neo-fascist Left-You Decide:

The Judas Media-Posted on Floyd Reports-Guest Writer-On April 27, 2011:

http://floydreports.com/the-judas-media/?utm_source=Expose+Obama&am...

Note: The following are just a few of the numerous articles and/or blog posts and videos that relate to and/or support the above articles and/or blog posts, websites and reports-You Decide:

I. U.S. ranks 47^th in media freedom, org says!

What’s disturbing about this picture?

Posted on CBSNews.com-On January 25, 2012:

“(CBS/AP)  PARIS - Reporters Without Borders has named “crackdown” the word of 2011 in an assessment of global media freedom during a year in which journalists covering sweeping protests were tested as never before.

The Paris-based press freedom watchdog said Wednesday that the wave of uprisings in the Middle East, the Occupy movement in the West and continued protests in China gave journalists an unprecedented role in advancing democracy. But they also were often targeted by governments trying to quash dissent.

“Never has freedom of information been so closely associated with democracy. Never have journalists, through their reporting, vexed the enemies of freedom so much,” the group said in a statement accompanying its report.

But the important role journalists played put them in the cross hairs of repressive regimes, the report said, adding: “Never have acts of censorship and physical attacks on journalists seemed so numerous.”

View Reporter’s Without Borders’ full report here

The heightened unrest resulted in a significant shake-up of the group’s annual Press Freedom Index, which assesses governments’ commitment to protecting media freedoms. The United States, for instance, fell 27 places to 47 because of arrests of journalists during Occupy Wall Street protests. The slide places it just behind Comoros and Taiwan in a group with Argentina and Romania.

Tunisia, which threw off decades of authoritarian rule in a revolt last year that sparked the Arab Spring uprisings, rose 30 places. But the group said its rank remains low — at 134 out of 179 — because although it “gave birth to a democratic regime,” it “has not yet fully accepted a free and independent press.”

Despite the big changes, some constants remained. Finland and Norway topped the list, as they did for 2010. Eritrea was last, with North Korea just above.

Syria, where an uprising against the government has been met with a brutal crackdown that has left more than 5,000 people dead, received its worst rating ever at 176.

The group judged that Syria, along with Iran and China, “seem to have lost contact with reality as they have been sucked into an insane spiral of terror.”

Source:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57366186/u.s-ranks-47th-in-medi...

II. Private Investigator says Beck Staff Threatened by Soros Operatives;News Corporation Failed to Protect Employees, Forcing Beck’s Ouster!-Posted on Soros Files-By Cliff Kincad-On January 27, 2012:

http://sorosfiles.com/soros/2012/01/glenn-beck-staff-threatened-by-...

III. Media’s Coverage Of Eligibility Hearings!-Posted on Western Journalism-By DANIEL NOE-On January 28, 2012:

http://www.westernjournalism.com/medias-coverage-of-eligibility-hea...

IV. Media To Americans: ‘Nothing To See Here’: ‘Reports ignore first time Obama ineligibility evidence entered into court record!’-Posted on WND.com-By Jack Minor-On January 27, 2012:

http://www.wnd.com/2012/01/media-to-americans-nothing-to-see-here/

V. Finally, an actual hearing on eligibility!-Posted on WND.com-By Joseph Farah, Editor and Chief Executive Officer, WND.com-On January 27, 2012:

http://alerts.worldnetdaily.com/HM?a=ENX7Cqk9ZX7Q8SA9MKJac1znGHxKLX...

VI. Video: Congressman, SOPA is a “Cripping Danger to the Internet!”-Posted on ExposeObama.com-By Rep. Tom McClintock,R-CA-On January 25, 2012:

http://www.exposeobama.com/2012/01/25/video-congressman-sopa-is-a-c...

VII. Why the Government Must Control the Internet!-Posted on Godfather Politics-By THE GODFATHER-On January 22, 2012:

http://godfatherpolitics.com/3293/why-the-government-must-control-t...

VIII. Rick Santorum Calls Media “Low-Lifes!”-Posted on Western Journalism-On January 21, 2012:

http://www.westernjournalism.com/rick-santorum-calls-media-low-life...

IX. Gingrich ‘Tired of the Elite Media Protecting Barack Obama by Attacking Republicans!’-Posted on CNSNews.com-By Susan Jones-On January 20, 2012:

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/gingrich-tired-elite-media-protecti...

X. Glenn Beck: Fox News Told Me To Shut Up: ‘Host claims network tried to censor his reporting!’-Posted on WND.com-By Joe Kovacs-On January 19, 2012:

http://www.wnd.com/2012/01/glenn-beck-fox-news-told-me-to-shut-up/

XI. PBS Commentator Bill Moyers: George Soros Has Been The ‘Victim’ of Glenn Beck and Fox News ‘Assassins!’-Posted on The Blaze-By Madeleine Morgenstern-On January 14, 2012:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/pbs-commentator-bill-moyers-george-...

XII. Fearless Questions About Obama the Media Will Never Ask (But Should)!-Posted on Impeach Obama Campaign-By Ben-On January 16, 2012:

http://www.impeachobamacampaign.com/fearless-questions-about-obama-...

XIII. Dumb Marines, Delighted Media: ‘The Left’s nostalgia for My Lai is forever!’-Posted on Family Security Matters-By Ralph Peters-On January 14, 2012:

http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.11227/pub_deta...

XIV. Missing the Mark – Again!-Posted on Townhall-By Oliver North-On January 13, 2012:

http://townhall.com/columnists/olivernorth/2012/01/13/missing_the_m...

XV. The NYT Shilling Again for Leftwing Murderers!-Posted on FrontPage Magazine-By David Horowitz-On January 13, 2012:

http://frontpagemag.com/2012/01/13/the-nyt-shilling-again-for-leftw...

XVI. Bin Laden Kill Movie Proves Obama’s Grip On Hollywood!-Posted on Western Jornalism-By SUZANNE EOVALDI-On January 10, 2012:

http://www.westernjournalism.com/bin-laden-kill-movie-proves-obamas...

XVII. NBC newsrooms get fresh leftist invasion: ‘Broadcaster teams with 'journalism' outfit founded by Barack Obama campaigners!’-Posted on WND.com-By Aaron Klein-On December 6, 2011:

http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=375053#ixzz1frQXbQcD

XVIII. The Secrets of Soros, Obama, Occupiers and the MSM!-Posted on The Patriot Update-By Chuck Norris-On November 20, 2011:

http://patriotupdate.com/articles/the-secrets-of-soros-obama-occupi...

XIX. Video: Allen West to Media, “Stop Being Afraid of this President” who is “Destroying this Country”!-Posted on YouTube.com-By ThisHouseOfCards-On November 15, 2011:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RAl_13D...

XX. Media Won’t Link White House Shooter to Occupy Wall Street!-Posted on Canada Free Press-By By Warner Todd Huston, Canada Free Press-On November 15, 2011:

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/42411#When:00:00:45Z

XXI. Video: Pamela Geller:  “We are at war and the enemy is the media!”-Posted on Western Journalism-On November 14, 2011:

http://www.westernjournalism.com/video-we-are-at-war-and-the-enemy-...

XXII. Progressive Media Encourage Lawlessness and Anarchy!-Posted on America’s Survival-By Cliff Kincaid-On October 16, 2011:

http://www.usasurvival.org/10.18.11.html

XXIII. Occupy Wall Street Emails Show MSM, Dylan Ratigan, Working With Protesters To Craft Message!-Posted on Big Journalism-By Dana Loesch-On October 16, 2011:

http://bigjournalism.com/dloesch/2011/10/16/journolist-2-0-occupydc...

XXIV. ‘No Freedom Of Speech If You’re A Conservative’: Hank Jr. Gives Glenn A Candid Interview!-Posted on The Blaze-By Jonathon M. Seidl-On October 12, 2011:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/no-freedom-of-speech-if-youre-a-con...

XXV. Did Media Matters Collude With DOJ On Black Panther Story?-Posted on Big Journalism-By Liberty Chick-On October 3, 2011:

http://bigjournalism.com/libertychick/2011/10/03/did-media-matters-...

XXVI. MSM More Concerned with Perry’s Relationship with Rock than Obama’s Racially-Charged Past!-Posted on Big Journalism-By John Nolte-On October 3, 2011:

http://bigjournalism.com/jjmnolte/2011/10/03/msm-more-concerned-wit...

XXVII. Soros-Funded Group Behind Course for Journalists That Downplays ‘Jihad’! ‘Program launched to teach press about Muslim sensitivities blames ‘right-wing activists.’-Posted on MCI-By Iris Somberg-On September 29, 2011:

http://www.mrc.org/cmi/articles/2011/SorosFunded_Group_Behind_Cours...

XXVIII. Union violence of little interest to media!-Posted on American Thinker-By K.E. Campbell-On September 9, 2011:

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/09/union_violence_of_littl...

XXIX. Hollywood Attacks Capitalism!-Posted on The Patriot Update-On July 16, 2011:

http://patriotupdate.com/videos/larry-crowne-hollywood-attacks-capi...

XXX. Jake Tapper Concedes Media’s Bias on Obama Medal of Honor Gaffe & Double Standard on Bachmann!-Posted on The Media Research Center-By Scott Whitlock-On July 5, 2011:

http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2011/20110705044506.aspx

XXXI. Video: Is Media Matters Breaking the Law?-Posted on FoxNews.com-On July 6, 2011:

http://nation.foxnews.com/media/2011/07/06/media-matters-breaking-law

XXXII. Video: Media Matters Under Scrutiny!-Posted on The Patriot Udate-On July 6, 2011:

http://patriotupdate.com/videos/media-matters-under-scrutiny

XXXIII. Adios, Liberal Hollywood!-Posted on The Patriot Update-By Ann-Marie Murrell-On June 30, 2011: 

http://patriotupdate.com/articles/adios-liberal-hollywood—conservat...

XXXIV. Soros Gives $1 Million to Target Fox News-Posted on FoxNews.com-On October 20, 2010:

http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/george-soros-fox-glenn/2010/10/20/i...

Note:  My following blog posts contain numerous articles and/or blog posts and videos that relate to this disturbing issue-You Decide:

Who owns our supposedly fair and balanced airwaves and news outlets?

http://weroinnm.wordpress.com/2010/10/21/who-owns-our-supposedly-fa...

What Happened to Free Speech?

http://weroinnm.wordpress.com/2010/10/23/what-happened-to-free-speech/

The FCC Should Not Interfere With The Internet!

http://weroinnm.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/the-fcc-should-not-interfe...

The Greatest Fraud Perpetrated in American History!

http://weroinnm.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/the-greatest-fraud-perpetr...

Is it important to understand the Marxist assault on the foundations of our system?

http://weroinnm.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/is-it-important-to-underst...

Note:  If you have a problem viewing any of the listed blog posts please copy web site and paste it on your browser. Be aware that some of the articles and/or blog posts or videos listed within the contents of the above blog post(s) may have been removed by this administration because they may have considered them to be too controversial.  Sure seems like any subject matter that may shed some negative light on this administration is being censored-What happened to free speech?-You Decide.

“Food For Thought”

God Bless the U.S.A.!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65KZIqay4E&feature=related

Semper Fi!

Jake