Restricting the Press

Kat

Virginia Lawmakers Ban Reporters From State Senate Floor, Prompting Transparency Concerns
“We need more transparency in the General Assembly, not less.”
Less than a week after Missouri senators voted overwhelmingly to ban reporters from the state Senate floor, prompting a dust-up about press restrictions in politics, a similar drama is now unfolding in Virginia. (continued at link below)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/reporters-virginia-state-senate_56974d1ae4b0b4eb759d3e6a?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics&section=politics

Lately the words unAmerican and Fascism keep coming up in my head. :(

HesCalledDyer

This nation becomes closer and closer to a police state every passing day.

PJ_Soul

Canadians had become used to this kind of shit when Harper was in office for 10 years; it was getting to the point where a lot of people seemed to think this kind of lack of transparency was normal for the federal government. The day Harper lost and Trudeau took over it was like we all came crawling out of our holes, squinting and feeling dazed when our PM actually opened the government to the media again, lol. Beware: apathy sinks in FAST when it comes to a lack of government transparency!

PJfanwillneverleave1

.

ldent42

I watched Trumbo last night which focused on a committee investigating people in Hollywood who were suspected to be Communists and subpoenaed them to appear before this committee and get publicly grilled - which led to this "black list" and people not being able to work because they were suspected of being Communist.

It doesn't feel even remotely unrelatable or irrelevant. I could easily see some shit like that happening again, starting tomorrow.

josevolution

His a Reancarnation of Wallace to the T ...

Amongst the Ani

If the press actually reported on what was going on instead of helping to push whatever their channels agenda is then I would care more. We don't have a free press. We have mouth pieces for one side or the other. Even with them there reporting does anyone actually believe they are getting transparency?

Empty Glass

Amongst the Ani said:

If the press actually reported on what was going on instead of helping to push whatever their channels agenda is then I would care more. We don't have a free press. We have mouth pieces for one side or the other. Even with them there reporting does anyone actually believe they are getting transparency?

agree 100%

lolobugg

Kat said:

Lately the words unAmerican and Fascism keep coming up in my head. :(

these could describe some of the posters on here too.

Kat

lolobugg said:

Kat said:

Lately the words unAmerican and Fascism keep coming up in my head. :(

these could describe some of the posters on here too.

Enough with the talking about each other and personal remarks to and at each other. Stick to the topic of the thread please. Thank you.
\

Kat

Amongst the Ani said:

If the press actually reported on what was going on instead of helping to push whatever their channels agenda is then I would care more. We don't have a free press. We have mouth pieces for one side or the other. Even with them there reporting does anyone actually believe they are getting transparency?

I'm not happy about the way the corporate media are directing the news instead of reporting the news. It's been a trend for a while and it's not good for our democracy. That's a national issue...but the local press and small outlets do try, as far as I can see, to report what's going on in local government and that's a good thing. They're supposed to be our watchdogs. I fear for the future of a free press.

PJ_Soul

Kat said:

Amongst the Ani said:

If the press actually reported on what was going on instead of helping to push whatever their channels agenda is then I would care more. We don't have a free press. We have mouth pieces for one side or the other. Even with them there reporting does anyone actually believe they are getting transparency?

I'm not happy about the way the corporate media are directing the news instead of reporting the news. It's been a trend for a while and it's not good for our democracy. That's a national issue...but the local press and small outlets do try, as far as I can see, to report what's going on in local government and that's a good thing. They're supposed to be our watchdogs. I fear for the future of a free press.

I agree. It's true of CNN, FOX, MSNBC.... But there are still plenty of decent news sources out there. That and the government being transparent are two different issues IMO.

Kat

Yes, there was a shake-up at MSNBC not too long ago and they changed for the worse. It's no different from the others now and it used to be a bit better. Very sad, can't watch.

jeffbr

PJ_Soul said:

Canadians had become used to this kind of shit when Harper was in office for 10 years; it was getting to the point where a lot of people seemed to think this kind of lack of transparency was normal for the federal government. The day Harper lost and Trudeau took over it was like we all came crawling out of our holes, squinting and feeling dazed when our PM actually opened the government to the media again, lol. Beware: apathy sinks in FAST when it comes to a lack of government transparency!

The thing is, we're getting used to that with Obama as well. He ran on transparency, yet has been anything but.
http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/randy-hall/2015/08/12/media-groups-call-transparency-obama-administration-again
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-zeller-jr/obamas-secretive-side-a-b_b_3111699.html

Even many pictures of Obama are staged, taken and distributed from the White House rather than the media since photographers have been denied access.

Enkidu

I grew up in Virginia. My parents were reporters, my grandfather was the editor of my small hometown paper. It wasn't corporate media back then - but things have changed. And I agree, it's not good. My hometown paper got bought out and it's a joke now. The alternative (and free) paper in my hometown does a better job covering the news.

For what it's worth, my family back in Virginia says this Norment guy is a freak and a joke. My brother sent me this today, from the Richmond Times-Dispatch (my dad used to write for the RTD).
Limericks (?!) about Norment's media attack:

http://www.richmond.com/opinion/our-opinion/article_ed629967-b01b-5ce0-bdb6-3ccc58064c68.html

gimmesometruth27

i in no way support restricting the press in any way.

i think it is the big media conglomerates who are controlling what gets reported and how it gets reported. these are the people who can afford to pay sources, and more importantly, have the means to protect whistleblowers and anonymous witnesses. sanders says we need to break up the big banks. maybe we need to break up the big media conglomerates while we are at it.

tempo_n_groove

Kat said:

Yes, there was a shake-up at MSNBC not too long ago and they changed for the worse. It's no different from the others now and it used to be a bit better. Very sad, can't watch.

MSNBC and Air America Had awful ratings for a reason...

With all the instant access to news nowadays, it's more of a knee jerk reaction to telling the news and not really reporting.

I enjoy investigative journalism and the major news networks don't seem to be doing them anymore so are they censored or are they just for profit now?

callen

tempo_n_groove said:

Kat said:

Yes, there was a shake-up at MSNBC not too long ago and they changed for the worse. It's no different from the others now and it used to be a bit better. Very sad, can't watch.

With all the instant access to news nowadays, it's more of a knee jerk reaction to telling the news and not really reporting.

I enjoy investigative journalism and the major news networks don't seem to be doing them anymore so are they censored or are they just for profit now?

Yep knee jerk and only driven by ratings/advertising revenue.