After Journalist Arrests, U.S. Plummets in Global Press Freedom Rankings
In last night’s State of the Union address, President Obama called for a “renewal of American values.” However, over the course of his wide-ranging speech, he made no mention of one core value: the fundamental role of the free press in America.
Journalist Kristyna Wentz-Graff, whose press badge is visible, was arrested while covering an Occupy protest in November.
This absence was highlighted this morning when Reporters Without Borders released its 2011–2012 global Press Freedom Index. After months of journalist arrests and press suppression at Occupy Wall Street-inspired protests, the United States has dropped significantly in the rankings.
According to this report, the U.S. has dropped 27 places to 47th in the world. This is especially troubling as we head into an election year which is sure to spark new conflicts between police and press covering rallies, protests and political events.
And these Occupy arrests are not isolated incidents. According to organizations like the Society for Professional Journalists, the National Press Photographers Association and the Committee to Protect Journalists, the arrests at Occupy events are part of a growing trend in the U.S. and worldwide.
President Obama has often made media reform and press freedom part of his platform. As a candidate he called for Internet freedom, greater media diversity and limits on media consolidation. “The arc of human progress has been shaped by individuals with the freedom to assemble,” Obama said in a speech at the United Nations in 2009, “and by organizations outside of government that insisted upon democratic change and by free media that held the powerful accountable.”
Just last year, at the White House Correspondents Dinner, President Obama directly addressed press freedom and violence toward journalists. He said:
“You know, in the last months, we've seen journalists threatened, arrested, beaten, attacked and in some cases even killed simply for doing their best to bring us the story, to give people a voice and to hold leaders accountable. And through it all, we've seen daring men and women risk their lives for the simple idea that no one should be silenced, and everyone deserves to know the truth.
“That's what you do. At your best that's what journalism is. That's the principle that you uphold. It is always important, but it's especially important in times of challenge, like the moment that America and the world is facing now.”
It’s time to confront this issue head on. We can’t take the First Amendment for granted, and we need to open up a national discussion about the role of the media and freedom of the press in our democracy. The media landscape is changing at a profound rate, and we must ensure that our policies and institutions keep pace. If, as President Obama asserts, we need a renewal of American values, then the First Amendment should be high on our list.
Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Free Press does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media and universal access to communications.
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critical thinking. personal responsibility. true self awareness.
Through out history people have struggled with the balance between policing themselves and having someone else do it for them. Civilization. Government. Its a balancing act. The minute you ask someone to do something else for you, as in govern us, police us, pass laws and enforce them on us, you trade personal freedom and personal power, for that governing. Truly honest and truly free information sharing is probably the most vulnerable and first victim of that balance going away. INFORMATION IS POWER!
"Government". We want someone else to make the OTHER guy behave. And yet we don't wish to take personal responsibility to regulate our own behavior. We want someone to do it for us. and so we trade "freedom" and personal responsibility, for laws enforced on us. Instead of growing and maturing into whole and healthy adults, that accept responsibility for our own actions and care for the rights and welfare of those around us, we choose instead to remain emotionally stunted, crippled children, and give over our care and feeding and the responsibility for our decision-making to someone else. We dont bother to learn to really think about things. Instead we allow ourselves to be led by the nose, accepting as fact, that which we are told is TRUTH. It is EASIER to hear what we WANT to hear, than to demand the truth and seek it out. It is easier to tell YOU that you are wrong; that what is wrong with the world is your fault, than for me to look into my OWN self and see what isn't right in me and work on IT! It is easier to tell YOU where you need to sacrifice, than to give something of mine!
Not on point? Re-read the comments in this, and MANY other places. Look in any open forum that isn't over-run with infantile behavior(that can be a long and ARDUOUS search). personal responsibility is a rare art form.
I think maybe it is a bit foolish to expect a media, owned by big money and their interests, to report honestly on a power structure/government that is owned and motivated by that same big money system. Censorship laws, such as ACTA, PIPA, SOPA, etc can only aggravate the problem, sure. But are we stopping them? Have we said, "Thats enough! I wanna see wall street bankers and white collar criminals doing time! I want to see my elected officials held fully accountable for there deeds at ALL times. I want to see what my government is doing in MY name! I DONT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH LINDSAY LOHAN'S PANTIES!" The OWS movements and their like are barely a start. And with the worlds rich raping our planet of its wealth, Global warming, world overpopulation and hunger,...well time is running out. It is time and PAST for us ALL to GROW-THE-HELL-UP!
Very useful information. I
Very useful information. I was very pleased. Thanks
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GROW A PAIR
The answer is simple, american journalists.
Everyone, for one full week, NO ONE will go, report or give any information from anyone from the government.
You don't show up at press conference, or you show up, don't record, don't take notes, don't film and turn your back on people. On radio and television, spend the whole week ONLY talking about loss of freedom, people that got arrested and don't give voice to any politician or the government.
They need you more than you need them.
GROW A PAIR
Wow
After reading these posts, I am ashamed to be an American citizen. The police arrest a journalist covering a story and the posts here say, "I don't trust journalists anyway."
Journalists are the only way information gets out and is spread. Arresting journalists is what happens in China and North Korea. Yet here it is happening on our soil, and most of the posts don't seem to care?
Yes, the media is owned by corporations pushing their own interests and agenda. But some journalists still do the right thing, and to push the idea that "putting journalists in check" is ok is saying you believe the government should only let you see information they deem is appropriate. You don't trust the media? That's your right (and a good idea). That doesn't mean the police need the right to arrest journalists not reporting on the 'right' topics.
Controlling information is absolutely essential to any totalitarian dictatorial rule. Between ACTA, SOPA/PIPA, the NDAA and other legislation coming out of our governnment we're well on our way people. Journalists are our first line of defense when the government is doing bad things. We need them.
Based on what they were
Based on what they were saying, I don't believe posters aren't interested in the rights of journalists. They just saw a chance to jump on their respective soapboxes about the injustice of modern medias objectivism.
The Press
The "Press" needs to stop looking for the "story" and start looking for Truth.
Objective reporting was thrown out the window long ago by the mainstream media. Yellow journalism is the fad and factual reporting has faded.
Genuine news reporting as presented by Morrow and Cronkite has been replaced by garbage collectors with a press badge.
Where is the respect once paid to those responsible for reporting actual news? Today's "reporters" have received the criticism they have earned- good or bad. They need to stop whining and start doing their job.
The Press
Larry, don't you miss Robin McNeal and his dry-mouthed objectivism? Amen to your statement, Larry. You hit the nail right squarely on the head.
The Press
The "Press" needs to stop looking for the "story" and start looking for Truth.
Objective reporting was thrown out the window long ago by the mainstream media. Yellow journalism is the fad and factual reporting has faded.
Genuine news reporting as presented by Morrow and Cronkite has been replaced by garbage collectors with a press badge.
Where is the respect once paid to those responsible for reporting actual news? Today's "reporters" have received the criticism they have earned- good or bad. They need to stop whining and start doing their job.
"to give people a voice and
"to give people a voice and to hold leaders accountable"
This is the whole problem with modern media. They're on a mission to push their own views and agenda rather than just publish the story. They decide who they will give a voice and which leaders they will hold most accountable.
If people were moral and modest, freedom of the press would be okay. But the media in this country has turned into a far more dangerous entity than the government. They control what people think about and what they think about it. All sensibility considering what should be kept confidential in order to protect individuals and even our nation as a whole is lost in the face of the at times competing goal to be first to get your name on a big story.
The media in this country needs to be placed in check. I have less trust in these people whom I can not vote in or out of power than I do in any government official.
It's a very slippery slope you're on.
Rather than silencing the press, educate people about marketing/propaganda techniques and train them to not blindly trust everything they see/hear/read through the media. Express your opposing view. Shed light on the possible motivations behind attempted manipulation of the masses. Let people make their own decision.
Otherwise, one day it may be you They are wrongfully locking up and executing a smear campaign against, and no one will listen to your cries for help, because Big Brother will have told them you are a "terrorist" or are "crazy".
History has proven over and over again that oppression is not the answer. Even oppressive leaders live in a constant state of paranoia. No one is happy in such a world. Freedom of expression, tolerance of differences, open-minded dialogue, active listening, and cooperation work wonders for those who are brave enough to exercise them.
nice!
nice!
Where is the education for this?
We live in a country where media/ads and propaganda are becoming more prevalent and interwoven into every aspect of our lives. I think we have a responsibility to teach people about this stuff at the youngest age possible. I didn't really become aware of the propaganda techniques and really start paying attention to what ads were doing until I had a class in college on propaganda.
It's a shame that we have to educate people on how to think critically and read through the BS modern media reports as "news" based on little to no fact. I had an aunt that began circulating an email which had a link to a FOX news source talking about Obama and some great injustice he did. This "news" was completely fabricated via cut/paste an interview together to make it say exactly what they wanted. I was able to point her to a snopes article that showed exactly how false it was. I was completely appalled by the irresponsibility of this particular show. When the state of the government is defined by which news source you consume, something is wrong.
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