U.S. Students Say Press Freedoms Go Too Far

I wonder if some of this comes from the "live" coverage of the war last year (with cameras on the front lines) -- and the constant intrusion and "hammer-to-death" attitude that many reporters like to proudly exhibit. It's alarming, however, that this sample would want the GOVERNMENT to censor what is reported on and how it is written. I'm hoping it's more of an anti-press statement, than a pro government censure plea.

 

Who'd want to live in a government censored culture. There's a good phrase: he who doesnt learn from history is doomed to repeat it.

Does Stalin, Hitler, and all of their type of government censorship ring a bell?

 

Weirdest thing for me is, why should the press be accountable and edited by the government? When was the last time that the US press, as a whole took a visibly anti-government stand and was proved wrong? I mean, as an outsider I am bound to miss a fair bit, but it seems the last time was Monicagate (for that noise about the fake Bush AWOL records, I still didn't understand if the actual story was truth or not)
What is happening in the US, anyway?

 

Tal,

the USA Today is a conservative rag best used to line bird cages . . .

the article doesn't suprise me at all. the federal and local governments all foister a certain amount of state propaganda in all American schools...the federal government foists a noticable amount of propaganda onto DVD's, CD's, movies-games, Tv commercials, radio commercials; paid journalists to parot the governments propaganda, etc. etc. etc.

so it's no suprise to see this surveys' results

'they' want to turn America into 'Amerika' by making US into the largest police state in the world

we already imprison more of our own people than any other country in the world; including the Soviets and Chinese . . .

Amerika isn't all that free and neither is american journalism

 

BTW, sorry if someone has found my questions offensive

 

I find myself agreeing with BTA here, word your questions right and you can get your average high school student saying pretty much anything. Heck, even by very clear wording a large part of every population are dumber than bricks, if they are teenager multiply both the number of idiots and the level of idiocy by ten.

 

I'm with BTA on this one. Maybe the kids figure that there needs to be a way to ensure greater responsibility and accountability in journalism (not necessarily a bad idea), but are under the misguided impression that the government is the one to ensure that happens (terrible idea).

 

Why would someone be needed to promote excellence in journalism worldwide and invest in the vitality of 26 U.S. communities.

What ever for!?! A $1,000,000 survey! :faints:
If this survey and its aftermath means we dont see Jeff Bush in the White House

 

I agree. And here's another: "The farther back one sees in history, the farhter one can see ahead."

Take their freedom of expression away from them and see how quickly they gain an appreciation for that freedom.

Thomas Paine - "The American Crisis"

 

Nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

 

Some would say its because america's high school kids are dumber than ever before.

Others would argue that high-schoolers are increasingly conservative in their views.

(At this point some of you are probably asking yourselves "What's the difference?" )

Having taught math to incoming freshman at an american university, I am inclined to go with the first reason. (The kids are dumb. 'Tis sad but true.)

A significant percentage (not all, some were brilliant) didn't know how to think. I could present ideas to them and they could repeat them back to me but that was about it. They could memorize steps to follow and get the right answer but many seemed unable (or unwilling) to think about the actual concepts.

I think this same problem carries over into other disciplines.

A growing number of students in america are unable/unwilling to think critically about anything.

Thus for many high-schoolers, the Bill of Rights may just be a list of "stuff" that they have to remember so they can regurgitate it on their next exam.

 

I always thought more freedom was a more conservative value--hence the libertarian party being conservative.

 

I'm sorry, "conservative" was the wrong word to use. I should have said "influenced by the religous right" instead.

All in all, the sentence was included in my post so that I could unleash my feeble attempt at a joke in the next line. I'm sorry if I offended anyone.

 

hehe. Sure didn't offend me

 

It's happening in Britain as well.

 

@AMaster
Conservative is historically not about more freedom just think Castro and Mussolini. Libertarians are the extreme end traditional of liberalism. In the US, as you probably know, the conservatives like to remove your social freedoms and the liberals your economic freedom.

 

I think it is normal of ALL governments to take away freedom of its citizens. It's naturally required because too many rights/freedom = free thinking which, in turn, means criticising the government. It's funny to think that the more one government speaks of freedoms, equality, etc., the more it strays from actually delivering. It's not typical of anyone, but of everyone. And BTW, it's more a domain of left-wing, social, states. Reason? They think the people cannot decide for themselves, so the country has to decide for them -- "free" education, "free" medical service, "free" social security -- all "free," but at the expense of taxes, and discretion of the government to spend taxes as they wish. OTOH, I'm not too keen on pushing some civil rights issues too far -- outlaw abortion -- I'm all for it, not only because of moral issues, but also because of money that taxpayers would have to give to support it; but outlaw, I don't know, selling cigarettes? No way. People smoke for their own demise. As long as there are laws that they are not allowed to do so on the streets, to the demise of fellow pedestrians, it's ok with me.

 

Liberalism is the antitode to conservatism.

Liberalism

Conservatism is the opposite of freedom.

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=liberalism